Count On Me
by asseyj14
Summary: The gang at Mystic Falls High are just entering senior year. Damon, Elena and Stefan have been best friends for years. What happens when Damon comes back to school with a secret that could destroy them? Read and find out! DELENA
1. Chapter 1

**Hello all! Welcome to my new story, Count On Me! I have not updated a story in over a year. If you are someone who reads my OTH stories, I plan to finish them someday, but I fell out of One Tree Hill. I found new shoes, TVD being one of them, and Supernatural (which I am also working on a story for). Leyton just isn't my favorite couple anymore, unfortunately.**

 **This story is NOT going to just be focused on Delena. There are other issues in Damon's life that Elena is going to help him through. Basically, they are best friends, and have been for years. Damon and Stefan, are not brothers, they are cousins, and very close.**

 **The title comes from the song Count On Me by Bruno Mars.**

* * *

 **Chapter 1**

It was finally senior year for the gang at Mystic Falls. There had been so much drama in the last 17 years and now, in one year, that would be over. No more fake bitches trying to manipulate them. No more intimidating bullies. And for some people, no more crappy family members to deal with everyday. But, in one year, they would also have to bid farewell to their best friends. To the best and worst years of their lives.

Elena waited by her locker as she waited for the Salvatore's. Damon and Stefan were two of her best friends. They grew up together before she had met Bonnie and Caroline. Elena's family had lived down the street. Damon and Stefan were cousins and lived across the street from each other.

Damon and Stefan and been there for Elena through everything. Through her breakups and her grandparents deaths. Elena had also been there for the boys. Especially when Damon's mother had passed away.

No one expected it. She was driving to pick her twelve year old son up from school when the accident happened. Damon had always blamed himself. When he lost his mom, he was miserable. Stefan couldn't help him and his dad quickly became an alcoholic. He had always looked up to his father until then.

Elena was the one who didn't let Damon go down the path of destruction. She built him back up and helped restore his confidence. Still, Damon was never the same after that fateful day.

"Hey 'Lena!" Damon called to her as the boys approached her.

"Hey guys! Please tell me that you have Palmer first period for Physics!" She prayed. She hated Mr. Palmer with a passion.

"Unfortunately." Damon mumbled.

"I got Mr Joans for Physics, thank god almighty!"

"Nerd." Damon jokingly told Stefan. They were like toddlers sometimes.

Elena laughed at the boys playful banter. "We should go. Come on, Demon." That was her nickname for Damon that she had had for the past ten years, because she thought she was so clever when she was seven.

He groaned at the thought of the first of many boring hours in Physics.

* * *

Later, at lunch, she was happy to find that all of her friends had the same lunch, so they all shared a table. Elena sat next to Damon and Caroline. Next to Damon (in order) was Stefan, Klaus, Tyler, Matt, Rebekah, Enzo, and Bonnie who was also next to Caroline. This was how the lunch table usually was in the years before. It would occasionally changes based on the drama of their friend group.

In the past, Caroline had dated Klaus and Tyler on and off. Matt was a short fling in freshman year.  
Elena had dated Matt for a while. A couple times in Middle School and for a year (from sophomore to junior year) before eventually deciding that it didn't work, so they stayed friends.

Matt and Rebekah are currently dating, and have been since he romantically asked her out on Valentine's Day of that year. Elena had dated Stefan for two weeks in freshman year, then they realized that it was too weird.

Bonnie dated random people that she brought to the table, but was currently with Enzo as of July.

Damon didn't date often. He just didn't like relationships and commitment, which would sometimes worry his friends. He briefly dated Rebekah for a month junior year, but she broke up with him when he couldn't commit. The same thing happened with Caroline in sophomore year. His only long lasting relationship was with Elena's cousin, Katherine, but she had broken his heart. They all loved him, and he loved them all, but not enough. He was scared of getting hurt, and the only person who knew about his fear was Elena, because he couldn't hide anything from her.

Elena looked at Damon, who had been pretty quiet throughout the day. He wasn't his usual self and that made her worry.

"Hey, you okay?" She whispered, so no one else would hear.

He nodded.

"You know that you can tell me what's bugging you, right? I'm your best friend."

Once again, he nodded. She was getting a little annoyed.

"Don't do the 'I'm Damon and don't need help with anything' thing. I see right through it." She told him before going back to her food.

Suddenly, Damon got up and walked out. Everyone paused, shocked.

"What just happened?" Caroline, of course, was the first to speak.

"I don't know." Elena answered, looking to Stefan, who would be the only other person who might know what's going on, but he looked just as shocked.

She stood up and went after him.

Elena found him by the stairs, just sitting, looking deep in thought.

"Did you just happen to forget that I'm your best friend and that I can see right through you?" He was startled by her voice. "What's wrong?" She demanded to know.

"'Lena, just let it go," he sighed, "Please."

"No, I want to know who thinks they can mess with my best friend. That's my job."

He looked at her. "I'm just thinking."

"Thinking? Damon Salvatore does not think. Who's the girl?"

He laughs slightly. "There is no girl."

"So who pissed you off and why haven't you gotten in a fight with them yet? Stefan?"

"No, it's not Stefan, Elena. Can we just let it go?"

She sighed and sat down next to him on the stairs. "For now. If someone messes with you, they come to me. No one messes with my Demon." She rests her head on his shoulder.

"And no one messes with my 'Lena."

* * *

Damon walked into his house at seven that night. He had gone to the diner with Stefan and Elena for dinner, something that they do quite often.

He heard footsteps coming from the living room and prepared himself for the worst.

"WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?! YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO BE HOME FOUR HOURS AGO!" His father screamed at him.

"I went out to eat with Elena and Stefan. I didn't think you'd mind. I'm sorry." Damon said cautiously, he doesn't usually apologize to people, but it seemed like he had been doing an awful lot of it lately.

"Well, sorry doesn't cut it, son!" Giuseppe yelled.

The next thing he knew, he was laying on the floor in a painful heap, holding his bleeding head.

"Go to your room."

When Damon reached his room, he locked his door and fell onto his bed, reaching sleep almost immediately.

* * *

 **So this is only the first chapter, but I promise that it'll get better AND longer! I already have a lot of surprises for you guys ;)**

 **I have a few chapters done already and I know basically most of what's going to happen, so I don't think it'll take that log for updates. I do have a job and a busy but hopefully I'll update frequently.**

 **I have been inspired by _Not Quite Broken,_** **a fanfic by imdrowninginfootwear. I encourage you all to check it out! But I would like to let the author know that I am not stealing the story by any means. Giuseppe beating Damon is where the comparisons stop, I promise! But that is probably my favorite (completed) TVD fanfic next to Crying Lightning.**

 **REVIEW!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Thank you to my first reviewers, PR. Salvatore and Angelpete87. I appreciate you taking the time to review! Also, thank you for the follows and favorites! I much appreciate it!**

 **So this took a little longer than expected but I have had to work almost everyday the past week and when I'm not, I've been so very busy, but here it is!**

* * *

 **Chapter 2**

Damon walked the halls of Mystic Falls High the next morning, wearing his sunglasses to cover his black eye. He was still sore all over his body from the night before, but he had gotten pretty good at hiding it.

He reached Elena's locker, where she and Stefan were already waiting for him.

"Hey loser." Stefan said to him, and he smiled weakly. Stefan, of course, noticed this. "What's wrong with you?"

Damon shrugged.

"Hangover?"

He shook his head.

Elena looked at him suspiciously. "Then take off your sunglasses."

"No, I can't."

"Come on, Pussy!" Stefan yelled at him and Damon glared, _If he only knew_ , he thought.

When Damon wasn't paying attention, Elena snatched them off his face to reveal his ugly left eye. She stopped everything, looking like she was going to cry.

"Damon..."

He looked away, trying to decide what lie he was going to go with this time.

"What the hell happened to you?" His cousin asked.

"You know, clumsy old Damon." He laughed slightly.

Elena glared. "Was it that kid that's been messing with you? Did you get into a fight?"

Stefan was confused. "What kid?"

"There's no kid! Just me! I'm screw up Damon Salvatore. I get myself beat up."

Elena shook her head. "You are not a screw up, Damon. Tell me who did this!" She ordered.

"Why? So you can judge me? No thanks!"

Elena was furious. "I'm running late for class. You know where to find me when you stop being a dick." She stormed off.

Stefan looked at Damon. "Who was it?" He asked softly, trying for a different approach. "I won't tell her."

Damon sighed. "It's not that. Let's just leave it." He, too walked off.

When he reached Physics, he sat down next to Elena.

"I'm sorry. Just try to understand."

She looked at him with tears in her eyes. "I love you Damon. You are basically my brother and if someone is trying to hurt you and not getting caught, then I want to know so I can help!"

"It won't though. Trust me. I love you too, that's why I can't tell you...'Lena..."

"Don't! Don't use that nickname against me."

He nodded as class began.

* * *

The lunch table was the exact same as it was the day before, with Damon and Elena next to each other, and completely ignoring the other.

"Something's different," Caroline pointed out half way through, "you guys are usually acting like an old married couple, but today you aren't even talking to each other... Did you guys get a divorce?" Caroline asked jokingly. Everyone always joked around that Damon and Elena were married because that's how they had always acted, without the kissing and hand holding. They'd playfully push each other's buttons, hug, and banter. He'd play with her hair, and vice-versa. Many of the group were actually wondering when two would end being an actual couple.

Elena answered with, "I don't know, why don't we ask the demon. Demon, why are you such a dick?"

He glared at her. "Maybe because you are being such a bitch."

They glared at each other.

"I think that they're having their first fight as a married couple." Bonnie pointed out.

"Shut up, Bonnie." Elena and Damon both said.

"Is it about the black eye?" Tyler asked.

"Did Elena put it there?" Rebekah snickered.

"He won't tell anyone where it came from."

"Because there's nothing to tell!" Damon said, exasperated. "I'm going to go. See you later."

And with that, he stood up and walked out.

* * *

The next day, Damon didn't show up to school, which made Elena worried, even though they were fighting. He'd usually always text her and tell her he wasn't going to school. They didn't know why, it was just always a habit between the two of them, mainly so that the other didn't worry, or didn't ask. Elena would always have Damon get her stuff for her when she was sick. Damon didn't ask Elena to ever, he didn't care, but she would always do it anyway.

After school, Elena went to his house and climbed up the vines leading to his room, just like she always did when they were kids and his father wouldn't let him do anything. She got to his window and knocked. When there was no reply, she slowly opened the window to find a sleeping Damon on the bed. Maybe he really was sick, she wondered.

"Damon?" She whispered.

He, being the light sleeper that he is, woke up almost immediately. He looked around a little confused.

"Elena? What are you doing here?"

She was surprised that he was surprised, she'd sneak into his room all the time.

"I came to check on you. You weren't in school today. I brought your work. And I'm bored. Thought you could entertain me." She explained as she lay on his bed.

"You can't be here," he rushed out, to her surprise, "You have to go. Now."

"What? Why?"

"Elena, trust me, leave." He begged.

Just then he heard footsteps coming towards his room.

"DAMON! WHO ARE YOU TALKING TO?" His father screamed. Elena saw as Damon's face started to pale.

"Get in the closet." He whispered. He pushed the shocked girl in as Giuseppe walked into his room.

She stood inside the dark closet and watched through the cracks.

"Nobody, Dad. It's just me. You were probably hearing things."

"ARE YOU CALLING ME STUPID BOY?"

"No." Damon said quickly. He knew what was going to happen, and Elena was going to witness it. He didn't want her to see this, he didn't even want her to know what was happening. But soon, his biggest secret was about to be revealed to the one person he didn't want to know about this.

"I think you are, well now who is the stupid one?" His father asks before pushing his son on the ground and kicking him in the stomach so many times that Damon lost count.

As Elena stood in the closet watching this, she covered her mouth so that the sobs wouldn't break free. Her best friend was laying on the floor getting beat up by his father and there was nothing that she could do about it. Why didn't Damon tell her? Did Stefan know? Why didn't HE tell her?

When she was sure that Giuseppe had left the room and gone to his own, Elena opened the closet door and rushed to best friend's side. He had a bloody nose and was clutching his stomach in pain.

"Damon? Please say something." She begged, needing to know that he's conscious.

"'Lena," he coughed, "get out of here."

She shook her head. "No. I'm not leaving you. We need to get out of here. Can you walk?"

He nodded. He sat up but groaned in the process.

"My car is across the street. Come on."

Damon stood up and fell right down again. He sat there, not moving.

"You're going to be fine, but we have to get out quickly."

"You go. I'll stay." Damon told her.

"No. We are both going." She whisper yells the best she can.

She helps Damon stand up and leads him downstairs to the door and outside, the entire time, he's leaning on her for support. She had her car parked across the street at Stefan's house, which is where she always parked it when sneaking into Damon's, so that his father wouldn't see it.

She got him in the car and started it as soon as she got in. "I'm taking you to the hospital."

"No, hospi'il." He mumbled, "They'll ask questions."

Elena looked at him wide eyed. "They should! You don't deserve this Damon!"

"I need a parent, 'Lena. They'll take that away from me. Please, no hospi'il." He pleaded her.

She softened. She suddenly understood why he hadn't said anything before. If her parents were taken away, she didn't know what she'd do. Then again, they didn't beat her. "What if you have internal bleeding? Can't we make up some story?"

"Lyin' to the cops is a felony, 'Lena." Of course, he was for once thinking _logically_ at a time like this.

"Fine, but if you're feeling ditsy and lightheaded tomorrow, which I'm sure you will be, we are going to the hospital before you do anything."

They then drove to Elena's house. She was hoping to sneak him in without her parents knowing but she should've known how difficult that would be. When her parents saw them and freaked out over Damon being all beat up, he lied and said that he had fallen down the stairs and Elena found him. He told them that his father already knew that he was over there and everything was okay. Elena knew that it was far from okay. HE wasn't okay, and he probably never would be again. How can someone just be okay after their father abuses them?

She grabbed him some ice and they made their way upstairs. He plopped himself up on the bed and she ordered him to take his shirt off. Usually he would've made some comment, but he was in too much pain for that. Elena gasped as she saw the black and blue bruises forming on his chest, ribs, and abdomen.

"It looks worse than it is." Damon tried to cheer her up, slightly laughing though he was in pain.

She knew he was just trying to make her feel better.

As she treated him, he decided to make light conversation.

"Y'know, I always wanted your parents." He told her.

"Really? Because until Lily passed away, I wanted yours." She revealed.

"Do you know why I blame myself for her death?"

"Because she was picking you up, but it wasn't your fault, Damon." She told him as she used a warm washcloth to clean up dry blood on his stomach.

"It's not just that. I told myself everyday that I wish I had your family. You had a little brother, and...cousins. You had amazing parents and I thought you were the luckiest girl in the world. I prayed every night that I could trade parents with you. That my life was different. One minute I was praying for a different mother and the next I'm crying at her funeral. It was my fault. I wished for it. That's why I blame myself, 'Lena." He cried to her.

She shook her head as she looked at him and he was quick to assume that she was mad at him. "Listen to me, it was NOT your fault. Everyone wishes at some point that they had different parents, but that doesn't mean that they wish them dead."

"Sometimes..." He looked away ashamed, "Sometimes I wish my dad was dead. I know that's horrible."

"Hey, I wish him dead right now too. You are my brother Damon! He hurt you and it kills me." She admitted.

She finished cleaning him up and noticed some greenish bruises. They look to be fading which means that they couldn't be that new. She noticed dark red marks that had to have been at least three months old. She saw marks that could've been a week old, too. His entire chest and stomach area were covered in both old and new wounds.

"Damon?"

"Hmm?" He asked with his eyes closed, he was falling asleep.

"How long has this been happening?" She asked, scared for the answer.

He paused, not wanting to tell her. She almost thought that he had fallen asleep. "He's always pushed me around. But the beating... Maybe the beginning of summer." He said quietly.

"Is that why you distanced yourself? Why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't want him to hurt you." He said as he drifted off.

She went to lay down next to him as she watched her life long best friend struggle with the worst pain anyone could feel and fell asleep as well.

* * *

 **So Elena knows! I know that it may be a bit soon, but the whole point of this is for Elena to help Damon through this rough patch.**

 **I would love to get more reviews from you all!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Elena woke up before Damon that next morning, which wasn't uncommon when they had sleepovers, or any time really.

Usually, Elena would wake him up just to be THAT person. However, she wanted him to sleep. She didn't even want him to go to school, but she'd have to wait and talk to Damon about that.

She went downstairs to make breakfast and saw that her mom was already a step ahead of her.

"Good morning honey. Damon still sleeping?"

Elena nodded and sat down. "I was coming down to make him breakfast."

Miranda smiled at her daughter as she flipped a pancake. "Well, honey, I think we all know that you aren't the greatest cook."

"I know but if I didn't then he wouldn't eat." Everyone knew that that was true, too. Elena would sometimes bring breakfast to school to ensure that Damon would eat. It bugged her that he didn't eat well. If he was given food, he would eat a whole army, but he didn't like getting up early in the morning to cook it. Of all of their friends, Damon was probably the best cook, he was just lazy.

When Miranda finished, Elena made a plate of pancakes, strawberries, and bacon for Damon and herself and went upstairs. She set it down and went to get ready for school while see let him sleep. When she was done, they had a half an hour until they had to be in school. She decided that she had to wake him.

"Damon? Wake up." She didn't want to touch him because she didn't know where he was sore.

He slowly opened his eyes. "What?" He mumbled.

"I brought you breakfast."

He looked at it suspiciously over on her bed side table. "Did you make it?"  
She laughed. At least he still had his sense of humor. "No. Mom did." He immediately grabbed it and started eating. He loved her moms cooking.

"So, how are you feeling? Sore?"

"I'm fine. Really." He told her.

She quickly jabbed him in the stomach with her fingers, but not too hard.

"OW! Elena!" He scolded.  
"So you're FINE? You are going to the hospital today. I'm taking you as soon as you finish breakfast."

He quickly got up as he winced. "No, Elena. I can't. I told you that."

She sighed. "I know. And I understand but you are hurt. I don't care about what happens to your dad right now. I care about YOU. You aren't arguing with me about this."  
He rolled his eyes and went to get dressed with the clothes that he had left at Elena's from the last time he was over.

Elena told her parents that she was taking him to get checked. Her parents loved Damon, so they of course understood her reasonings for taking him instead of going to school.

At the doctors office they discovered that he had broken his arm, bruised three ribs and needed six stitches in his stomach and three above his eyebrow. Elena, of course, gave him an 'I told ya so,' look and he just rolled his eyes. The doctor prescribed him painkillers and told him that she would send the bill to his house.

Elena brought him back to her house for the rest of the day. All they did was sit and watch movies like they used to. She made him watch some episodes of Greys Anatomy, which he really didn't care for very much. They watched old favorites of there's like The Breakfast Club and Goonies.

They didn't talk much, he wasn't feeling up to it and she didn't really know what to say. What could she say? He fell asleep sometime around two, and she let him.

She heard someone running up the stairs. Figuring it was Jeremy, she went to close her bedroom door.

When she got to the door she saw Stefan about to enter her room.  
She quickly stepped outside, trying to distract him so that he didn't see Damon.

"Stefan! What are you doing here?" She asked him.

"I knocked but no one answered. You and my cousin didn't go to school today. I went over to his house but he wasn't home. Uncle G doesn't know where he is. Have you seen him? I've been really worried about him. You don't think he's gone and done something stupid do you?" Stefan rambled. It was obvious how worried he really was.

"No." Elena lied quickly. "Let's go downstairs. My room is a mess."

Stefan was surprised. Her room was almost never messy. She was probably the most organized person he knew. And even when it was, she'd always let him in. He just shrugged and followed her down to the kitchen.

"Wait. Why weren't you at school? You don't seem sick." He asked suspicious.

"Well... I didn't really feel well this morning. Girl stuff." She knew he'd probably drop it if she mentioned something about it being that time of the month.

"Say no more." He sat at the kitchen table after he had gotten himself some soda. "Do you know why Damon's been weird? Has he told you?"

Elena shook her head. If she opened her mouth, she knew that she would tell him. Stefan deserved to know what was going on, more than she did. She needed him to help her figure out what to do, because Damon wasn't being reasonable. Would Stefan tell her to go to the cops? Would he tell her to just leave it alone? Probably not. Would Stefan's family take Damon in? He basically lived there anyway. Between her house and Stefan's, Damon was there more than his own home since his mom died. His dad didn't let him out much but he'd sneak out for a night and return early in the morning.

"I don't know what do about him. I want to help him but I don't even know what's wrong. Do you think that he doesn't want our help?"

"I think deep down that he does. He just needs us to be there, like we always are. No drifting away."

"After seventeen years, I'm not suddenly going to abandon him. He's family."

She nodded and then heard rustling upstairs. It was Damon. Probably about to go downstairs after she just lied to Stefan about not knowing where he was.

Damon appeared in the kitchen, finding his cousin and tried to act like nothing was wrong. Stefan's eyes were wide, finding out that his best friend had just lied to him over something that seemed silly, which probably meant that it wasn't so silly.  
"Hey, man. What's up?" Damon asked, nonchalantly.

Stefan looked at him, then back to Elena. "Nothing. Just wondering why you're here and why Elena had to hide it from me. What's going on?"

"Stefan, Damon just needed some peace and quiet. That's why I didn't tell you."

"Here? Would you people stop lying to me?!"

Damon looked at him. "I haven't lied about anything."

"What's going on in your life Damon? Why do you have a black eye and a bruised nose? Stitches? A cast on your left arm? What happened and why can't I know? Does Elena? Is that another thing that you both are lying about? And why is it so secretive that you're here?"

Damon sighed. "Some guy at a bar punched me the other night. I didn't want you to be mad at me so I lied. I fell down the stairs and broke my arm and cut open my eyebrow a little bit. Elena found me. She's been helping me out today because my dad wasn't home last night. Elena didn't tell you because I was ashamed."

Elena was surprised at how easy that lie came. She almost believed it for a second. It made her wonder if he was keeping other stuff from them.

And now for worried Stefan Salvatore. "Oh my god. Did you go to the hospital? Do you need to? I'm so sorry I got mad."

Damon laughed. "Elena already made me go, obviously, hence the cast and stitches. Don't worry. I'm just sore."

"You let me know if you need anything." Stefan ordered.

"You can go get me some bourbon...?" He asked hopefully.

"Other than alcohol Damon."

"Then I don't need anything."

Stefan nodded and then said that he had go after receiving a text. He ran out the door.

Damon looked at Elena. "Guess we aren't the only ones hiding something." He was referring to the text Stefan received.

Elena laughed. "Maybe he's having an affair."

Damon laughed. "Can you imagine Stefan having a friend with benefits?"

"Nope." Elena laughed again before getting serious. "You should tell him."

"Yeah, I don't think so."

"Why not?!"

"Because he'd make me do something about it or he'd try to protect me. You know Stefan."

"Maybe he will let you live with him? You don't even have to tell him why. He knows that your dad is a dick."

"Legally, I can't just live with them unless I have a valid reason and I'm not telling anyone anything. I'm not making Stefan clean up my mess. I was the one who ruined Giuseppe's life, I deserve this."

"You didn't ruin his life. He could've taken the high road and went therapy after your mom... But he didn't."  
Damon looked down at his hands and said nothing.

"Stay here."

* * *

 **So Stefan ALMOST found out. He will eventually and I'm excited to share that part of the story for you, but you'll have to keep reading ;) What is Stefan hiding? Hmm, I wonder...**

 **Thank you to reviewers , Angelpete87 and Guest. I hope you continue to review!**

 **To Guest: Stefan will definitely have a very large reaction but you have a while until he finds out. I wanted to start this story with Damon only having one person to help him through this (Elena) but Stefan will find out before anyone else, if I continue with my original idea.**

 **Thank you for reading! Review, I love hearing from you!**


	4. Don't Deserve You

**I interpreted this song a COMPLETELY different way than you're supposed to for this chapter. I think it can be about having friends that you don't think you deserve, not just about someone you're in love with. In this chapter, the song is in Damon's point of view.**

* * *

 _"Stay here."_

* * *

 **Chapter 4**

 _You're the first face that I see  
_ _And the last thing I think about  
_ _You're the reason that I'm alive  
_ _You're what I can't live without  
_ _You're what I can't live without_

"What?" Damon was shocked. Did he mishear her? Was this his mind playing tricks on him?

"Come on Damon! You basically live here most of the time anyway!"

"You know that this has to go through court, right?" He had been a lot smarter the past few that in his entire life.

"I know, but you'll be 18 soon, so just stay here. It only has to go through court if you get caught. Your dad probably won't even notice that you're gone," she realized what a mistake she made as Damon hung his head. She had been thinking it for years, but that's the first she ever said it aloud. "I'm sorry Damon, but you know that it's true. Plus, you turn 18 in just a few more months. Please. For me?" She pulled her signature "Bambi Eyes" that Damon could never deny. Sometimes he'd even call her Bambi because of her big eyes.

Damon sighed. "Fine. But no one can find out about this. At least until I figure out what to do."

Elena nodded a promise that she wasn't sure if she could keep.

"I'll stay in the basement. Your parents won't know. It'll only be for a few days." He promised.

"You have enough clothes here for a day or two. I don't want you to go back there."

Damon sighed. "Elena, I'm going to have to eventually. I have to face him. He's my dad."

"You have my dad! I know it's not the same but you've known him long enough. I'm sure they wouldn't mind you staying here."

"Don't tell them anything. Promise Me, 'Lena."

Elena looked down, internally struggling. She's never broken one of his promises, and she knew that he would never forgive her if she did, but this was a life or death situation. Did she really want to risk his life just to save their friendship?

"Fine."

 _You never give up  
When I'm falling apart  
Your arms are always open wide  
And you're quick to forgive  
When I make a mistake  
You love me in the blink of an eye_

That night, Damon slept in the finished basement of his best friend's house. He had had dinner with her family and then pretended to leave before sneaking in after they had gone upstairs to bed.

The basement resembled a living room with two rooms off to the side. One used for laundry, the other as a guest room that wasn't used that often. They didn't get very many guests. Elena's grandparents came to visit once a year, if they were lucky. Her aunt Jenna used to use it a lot but then she moved to Mystic Falls after finishing college. When he was younger, he used to use the room when his parents were out of town and spent half his time at Stefan's and the other half at the Gilbert's. There were also times when both Stefan and Damon had to stay over because their parents all went on vacation together, kind of like a couples retreat.

The basement living room was where they'd all spend their time to get away from her family and have privacy. It's where she'd have all of her birthday parties. Her parents never used that space. Just her and Jeremy, but Jeremy usually spent time at other people's houses instead of his own.

Damon decided to sleep in the spare room, in case anyone decided to come downstairs.

He had trouble sleeping that night. All he could think about was how messy this week was. He didn't know what he was going to do. He wanted to go back home, but he was too scared. He wasn't scared of barely anything. The only times in his life that he could recall were when his mother passed away, and when he was terrified for Elena when her grandparents died from an accident similar to his mothers.

He didn't know when he fell asleep, but it had to have been sometime after two because he remembered watching the clock as it changed for hours.

He woke up to Elena poking him. She didn't know where he hurt and didn't want shake him in case she hurt him too much.

"Come on sleepyhead. Everyone at school is probably wondering what's going on with you." She told him as she sat next to him. She must have gotten up a while ago because she already had her makeup done and her hair was softly curled **(AN Season 5/6 Elena hair and makeup)**

"Do I have to go?"

She laughed. "Yes. Tomorrow is Saturday. You can sleep then. Get up. I'm going to be pissed if I come back in here and you aren't dressed."

He chuckled at her. "You are going to make a great mom someday."

She smiled. That sounded amazing to hear from him. A family was included in all of her life plans since she was a little girl. No matter what she wanted to be, she always had a husband and children as part of her plans.

"You ARE getting up, right?"

"Yes, Mom." He groaned as he sat up in bed and reached for the clothes she had left for him. Just a simple long sleeved black shirt and dark jeans.

"Okay, Mom isn't out of the shower yet so hurry up and come upstairs so she doesn't notice that you spent the night."

He nodded and then she left the room.

 _I don't deserve your love  
But you give it to me anyway  
Can't get enough  
You're everything I need  
And when I walk away  
You take off running and come right after me  
It's what you do  
And I don't deserve you_

Elena's mom came down the stairs and into the kitchen to find that her daughter and Damon were eating breakfast (or what Elena calls breakfast, AKA Burnt toast). Elena played off Damon being there as if he had just come over only a few minutes before.

"Where's Jer?" Her mom asked.

"He already left. He's walking, I guess." Something had been off about her brother lately. She just couldn't tell what.

Her mother nodded, not surprised. "How are you feeling, Damon? Any better?" She asked, as the concerned mother she was and always had been.

He smiled. "Just a little sore. Miranda. Thank you."

"I have ibuprofen that I was going to have Elena give to you at school but you're here. Take two every four to six hours. It won't heal you but it should help the pain." She gave him a full bottle that she pulled out of her purse. She was always a safe mom and her purse was like Dora's backpack or even Mary Poppin's bag.

"Thank you. They gave me some pain reliever but it doesn't last long."

Miranda gave the boy a one armed hug. Since his mother passed away, she considered him her second son. If he ever needed a woman to talk to like he did his mom, she was always there, and she made it very clear to him. "Oh! I almost forgot!" She ran to the cupboard and pulled out a basket of some muffins. "These were in case Elena made you breakfast."

"HEY!"

"Come on honey. Don't deny your cooking. Look at what you're making the poor boy eat." She picked up a piece of the charred toast seriously as her best friend laughed. Elena gave him the evil eye and he stopped immediately. Then Miranda turned back to Damon. "And in case you didn't eat this morning, like usual."

She bid the teenagers goodbye as they headed off to school.

 _You're the light inside my eyes  
_ _You give me a reason to keep trying  
You give me more than I could dream  
And you bring me to my knees  
You bring me to my knees_

Damon didn't want to get out of the car. He was worried about what everyone was going to say to him or about him behind his back. What would he say if they asked questions? Would he use the same lame ass story he had fed to Stefan? He realized that he needed to face people and got out of the car.

They turned the corner on the way to their lockers and saw Stefan and Caroline talking, or more like fighting.

"Why are you so sure?! Stefan!"

"Because I am Caroline! Just listen and understand! Please!"

"I am so sick of doing everything by your rules!"

"My rules?!"

"GUYS!" Elena yelled. They stopped immediately and looked at her and Damon. "What the hell is going on?"

Stefan answered. "Just about the English assignment."

"Well stop making a scene in the middle of the hallway." Damon scolded his cousin.

Finally Caroline took in her friend's appearance. "Damon? What the hell happened to you?!"

"Stairs are not my friend."

"Oh, Damon, your dad came over last night looking for you." Stefan told him.

Damon was shocked. He didn't think his dad would even notice if he was gone. He was probably just missing his punching bag. "Yeah, it got late so I stayed at Elena's. Forgot to call him."

"He was worried about you." Stefan glared. His uncle wasn't his favorite person, but he had lost his wife and knew that he was probably worried that he would lose his son, too.

"I'm sure he was." He mumbled.

"Damon, he's your dad. He has a right to worry." Stefan said in a disapproving voice.

"He has no right to anything in my life, whatsoever." Damon said angrily as he stalked away.  
Stefan looked at Elena, trying to get information out of her.

He knew that Stefan would be able to tell if she was lying, especially because she wasn't shocked by Damon's attitude.

"They, um, have been fighting a lot lately. He just needs some time. To think." Well, it wasn't exactly a lie.

"About what? If he's ever going to go home?" Caroline asked, rhetorically.

Elena looked down.

Stefan noticed her demeanor. She was definitely hiding something.

"Elena? What's going on? What are you not telling me?"

"You should really talk to Damon." She then walked away, too.

 _Your heart is gold and how am I the one  
_ _That you've chosen to love  
I still can't believe that you're right next to me  
After all that I've done_

It was third period when Damon walked into Mr. Saltzman's room for History. This was the only period that most of his friends had together. There was Elena, Stefan, Caroline, Bonnie, Enzo and Rebekah.

Mr. Saltzman was probably his favorite teacher. He had just started at Mystic Falls the year before and got close to him through study halls and detention. He was one of the few teachers that was friends with his students. He was also dating Elena's Aunt Jenna, which helped with their bonding. He was one of the few students that could call him Alaric, or even Ric.

When Damon walked into the classroom, he had his teacher's full attention.

"Damon." Ric gasped.

Damon ignored him and took his assigned seat next to Elena.

Yes, as cool as Ric was he, he still had assigned seats, but he made sure he put the friends near each other. The seats were all set up in pairs. Damon and Elena in the front middle, Stefan and Caroline behind them, Bonnie and Rebekah (in case her and Enzo broke up, he didn't want class drama) to the right of Elena, and Enzo and his friend outside the group, Aaron behind Bonnie and Rebekah. Aaron would often flirt with Elena and even ask her out, but she was never interested.  
Alaric taught the class for the next hour before dismissing them.

"Damon, can I have a word?" He asked as the students shuffled out of the room. Elena looked at Damon and gave him a reassuring nod.

"I guess. What's up, Ric?"

"I'm only going to ask you this once, and I want the truth."

Damon braced himself. Ric was smart, too smart, and could probably easily figure what had happened. He knew about his tension with his father.

"Did your dad do this?"

"I fell down the stairs." Damon lied, seemingly for the millionth time, even though this one was very difficult.

"Damon, if you need a place to stay, Jenna and I have an extra room."

"It wasn't my dad."

"What would Elena say if I asked her?"

"She wouldn't tell you anything. It's not her place."

Alaric sighed. "If you are in trouble, you need to tell someone before it gets worse. I care about you."

"All you need to know is that I fell down the stairs. And it hurt like a Bitch. But it happened. My dad isn't responsible for any of this." Damon said, and he almost believed himself with how serious he sounded. He wished the he _did_ believe himself.

"This isn't you. You don't lie to me. You joke around in serious situations and make everything seem okay even if it's not. Listen to yourself."

"I'm fine, Ric. I have to go to class." And with that, the pissed off Damon stormed out of the room.

 _I don't deserve your love  
But you give it to me anyway  
Can't get enough  
You're everything I need  
And when I walk away  
You take off running and come right after me  
It's what you do  
And I don't deserve you_

Damon actually stayed the entire lunch period, though he didn't talk much.

He spent the half hour listening to Elena and Caroline talk about an upcoming girls night and shopping (of course it was Caroline's idea), and Bonnie and Enzo gushing over one another and speaking on disgusting lovey dovey tones. He listened to Stefan talk to the guys about going out and doing something over the weekend that they probably would never follow through with. He also listened to Rebekah and Matt plan a double date with Bonnie and Enzo.  
God he _hated_ relationships.

 _I don't deserve a chance like this  
_ _I don't deserve a love that gives me everything  
You're everything I want_

When school was let out, he told Elena that he would go to her house for dinner but needed some time to himself.

He went to the Grill. He didn't want to worry her. Damon wasn't a big drinker. It just wasn't him and he didn't want to end up like his father. Yeah, he'd been drunk before, wasted in fact, but he didn't drink casually or just up and decide that he needed a drink. But he needed a drink.

He decided to start with just one. But one led to two, and two led to three, and after that, he lost count. He sat at that bar for hours, listening to people's conversations (he always had killer hearing) and people come in and out of the Grill.

"Damon?" A familiar masculine voice asked.

He turned his head a little. "Ric. Long time no see." He slurred.

"What are you doing? You're seventeen."

Damon looked at the woman next to him. "Who is that? She's pretty."

"That would be your best friend's aunt and my fiance. How much have you had?"

"Not enough." He turned back to his shot that Alaric grabbed from him. "HEY!"

Jenna was still in shock, looking at boy that she had known for years as her niece's best friend. He was a mess. "Damon, do you want me to call someone? Your dad? Elena?"

"LENA! She's my bestie! You know her?"

"She's going to be so disappointed." Jenna told Alaric as she dialed.

"'Lena's never dis-a-point-ed," he pronounced each syllable, "She LOVES me!"

"We know, Buddy." Alaric said.

 _"Hello?"_ _Elena answered._

"Um, hi honey," Jenna said nervously.

 _"Why are you talking funny? What did you do?"_

"Not what I did." Jenna mumbled under her breath. "I have Damon with me. We're at the Grill."

 _"Okay? What does that have to do with me?" Elena asked curiously._

"I didn't know who else to call. He's a little... Under the weather."

 _Elena sighed. "I'll be right there."_

Within ten minutes, Elena walked into the Grill to find Damon hanging out with her aunt and future uncle.

She walked up to him and sat next to him.

"What have you been up to?" She asked, with an obvious tone in her voice that he obviously didn't catch onto.

"Elena! I made friends!"

She nodded. "I see that. What are you talking about."

He shrugged. "Stuff. I told them that my dad is a dick. I told them that I have a bestie named 'Lena. Apparently they already knew that though."

She nodded. "Let's get you home. I think you've had enough."

"But I don't want to go back. I don't like it there."

"To my house, Damon."

"OH. Then yes."

She quickly apologized to Jenna and Alaric and paid Damon's (very expensive) bill.

She put him in the car and took him to her house. They got there at about nine and she took him down to his room in the basement and laid him on the bed. She brought him a water (with ibuprofen) and a coffee.

She laid next to him.

"I'm sorry." She heard him whisper softly after a half hour.

"For what?" She asked confused.

"For being such a loser. And a douche-bag."

"Well you're always a loser and a douche-bag. It doesn't really affect me anymore." She joked and he cracked a smile.

He was obviously sobering up a little bit. "I don't deserve you."

"Yes you do." She corrected him in a low voice.

He looked at her and, ever so softly, placed his lips on hers.

 _I don't deserve your love  
But you give it to me anyway  
Can't get enough  
You're everything I need  
And when I walk away  
You take off running and come right after me  
It's what you do  
And I don't deserve you  
And I don't deserve you_

* * *

 **Them kissing in NO WAY means that they are going to start a relationship. That would be too easy ;)**

 **I was going to give this to you on Tuesday, but I finished early! I'm leaving for vacation on Wednesday but I will try to update before I leave, but if I can't, I promise you an update by July 5!**

 **What do you think of me doing a song for every chapter? This was just a test run, but I want to know what you think!**

 **Thank you to PR. Salvatore , Angelpete87, and Frozen Timeless for the reviews! I love hearing from you. It makes me smile... And I love being called "amazing" :)**

 **Song: Don't Deserve You by Plumb (Also featured in 5x02)**

 **Until next time... REVIEW!**


	5. Steamroller

****I promised that I'd have this up by yesterday and I was late by about 15 minutes (on the east side of the US), but here you go! I would've had it up before midnight but I forgot about the song until (literally) the very last minute, oops! I just got back from Virginia Beach after being there for a week so please forgive me for the long wait! Enjoy!****

* * *

 **Chapter 5**

 _He looked at her and, ever so softly, placed his lips on hers._

 _I am tired of being sad_  
 _I feel it when I wake up_  
 _And it just stays bad_  
 _It hits me like a sickness_  
 _Or a steamroller_  
 _Makes me wanna lay down_  
 _And get run over_

Elena sat, shocked as the lips of her best friend stayed locked on hers. She started to reciprocate, not realizing who she was with. When she realized that it was Damon she stopped. She pulled away abruptly and refused to look at him.

If she did, she would've seen the look of pure shame on Damon's face.

"'Lena..." He started before she interrupted.

"Damon, what the hell was that?"

"I'm sorry."

"Why would you do that?"

He bit his lip, not knowing how to respond. "I wanted to."

She finally met his eyes. "You wanted to? You don't just WANT to kiss somebody who you've been friends with for ten years!"

"Elena, I've been wanting to do that for-" she interrupted him again.

"NO. I'm just the only girl who's here. I'm the only one who knows what's going on and you want someone to comfort you. But you already have me. I'm your _friend_ Damon. Nothing more." She was just about crying.

He nodded, not truly believing a word she said. "You're right. I'm sorry."

"It's fine." She said quickly and got off the bed. "I'm going to go to bed. Goodnight Damon." And she left the room.

 _But then I see you_  
 _Always smiling_  
 _Makes me wanna touch you_  
 _Keep from dying_  
 _Your a brother to me_  
 _Your my partner in crime_  
 _Your the feeling I get_  
 _When I'm feeling fine_

The next day they didn't talk. Not a word. He got up, ate the muffin on the table, went downstairs for a couple hours, and got in the car to go to the Grill for lunch with their friends.

Their reasoning for not talking to each other were very different. Elena was feeling very awkward with no idea to say. Damon, on the other hand, was pissed.

Where did she get off thinking that she knows how he feels? No one could tell him what he felt like doing! He had been wanting to kiss her perfect lips for years. He never acted on it because he wanted her in his life and didn't want to lose her. She and Stefan were the only constants in his life and he couldn't risk losing one of them. The only time he had the balls to do anything was when he was fucking drunk. He really was a coward.

When they got to the Grill, they split ways. He went to the pool table where the guys were and she went over to see Bonnie and Caroline who were sitting at a booth.

When she got there, she saw that they had already ordered her a coffee.

"Thank you guys. It's been a rough morning." She told the girls across from her.

"So I see. You and Damon looked very tense. What happened?" Bonnie asked softly.

"You guys so slept together!" Caroline announced excitedly.

Elena's eyes widened. "Shhh! Care, keep your voice down!"

"OMG you did!"

"No we didn't!" Elena saw how saddened Caroline got at that. She had always thought that the two were secretly in love and didn't hide it. "We've just had a lot of stuff going on lately."

Bonnie looked perplexed. "Like what? You didn't mention anything."

"It's not my place to talk about it. It's about Damon."

"So something did happen?" Asked Caroline.

Elena sighed. "Well, yeah, but that's not what has been going on with _him_ lately."

Bonnie put her hand on Elena's arm. "Elena, talk to us."

Elena looked at her two friends. "Damon kissed me last night."

 _Part of me wants you_  
 _But most of me needs you_  
 _So I won't fall unless you ask me to_

"So what's got you in a mood?" Stefan asked his cousin.

"Don't know what you're talking about." Damon said as he missed a shot at pool.

"Well, for one, you barely ever miss, and two, you're being kind of bitchy."

"Just have a lot on my mind." He said, shortly.

"Have anything to do with the beautiful brunette that you and I call our best friend?"

"Kind of. She's been helping me out a lot."

"With what?" Enzo asked.

"It's personal."

Stefan's eyebrows scrunched together. "Too personal for us?"

"Yep."

"C'mon Mate. You aren't exactly a secret keeper." Enzo said.

"Elena wasn't supposed to know either, okay. She just found out. Let me keep this to myself." He missed again.

"Whatever." Stefan said, angry again.

"I'm going to get us more sodas." Enzo told them and walked away.

When he was gone, Stefan turned to Damon. "Will you at least tell me what happened with you and Elena?"

He sighed. "Fine. But only if you tell me the secret you're keeping from us."

Stefan reluctantly agreed.

They counted to three before blurting out the secrets that neither one was expecting.

"I kissed Elena."

"I'm seeing Caroline."

"WHAT?!" They both shouted.

"Since when have you been into Barbie?" Damon asked.

"Since when have you liked Elena?" Stefan retorted. He always had a feeling that Damon did but he had never spoken about, now he knows for sure that his suspicions were correct.

"Fair enough. When did this happen? Who knows?"

"A couple weeks ago. Just you."

"Wow. Didn't expect that."

"Us neither. We were hanging out here one day and she just looked so beautiful so I went in. We wanted to enjoy this before everyone found out."

"How did she not go telling the world? I mean, it's Caroline Forbes."

Stefan laughed. "Beats me."

Damon caught Stefan staring at her and she briefly looked at him too and shared a sweet smile before turning back to her friends.

"You really like her don't you?"

"Yeah, I do man."

"Well, then I support you. But don't hurt her."

Stefan laughed at him. "Are you threatening me if I hurt _Caroline_."

Damon laughed. "Yeah, I am."

"So back to Elena?"

"What's taking Enzo so long?" Damon changed the subject.

"Damon."

He sighed. "I like her. She doesn't. End of story."

Stefan was confused. "What?"

Enzo then came back with three cokes.

 _In the darkness_  
 _I feel your fingers_  
 _They don't touch me_  
 _But theres a danger_  
 _Your a brother to me_  
 _Your my partner in crime_  
 _Your the feeling I get_  
 _When I'm feeling fine_

"He WHAT?!" Both girls yelled.

"He was drunk. He didn't know what he was doing."

"Did you at least kiss back?" Caroline wanted to know.

"Yes, Care. I did. And I wish I hadn't."

"Why?" Bonnie asked genuinely.

"Because I ruined my most important friendship." She says as if it were the most obvious thing in the world because to her, it was.

"So he remembers it?" Care asked.

Elena laughed. "Yeah. He does. We haven't talked since last night."

"What? That isn't like Damon to not talk." Bonnie said. It was true. Damon _loved_ talking. It got very annoying sometimes and he would often do it JUST to annoy Bonnie. Elena was used to it so it didn't bother her and almost NOTHING could annoy Caroline.

Elena laughed. "It was a mistake. He wanted comfort and I was there."

"Did he say it was a mistake?"

"Well... No."

"Then maybe it wasn't."

"Yeah Elena." Caroline agreed. "He's Damon. He's been in love with you for ten years."

"Caroline." Bonnie gasped.

"What did you just say?"

"What? You mean, you couldn't tell? We all could. I mean he's never directly told anyone but it's obvious. That's why he doesn't date. You're so oblivious."

"Damon... Loves me? No. He loves me but he's not _in love_ with me. Right?"

"Elena," Bonnie started softly, "He doesn't treat you like a best friend. It's more sweetie."

"Well why wouldn't he say anything?"

Bonnie shrugged. "They aren't always as strong as we think."

No. She knew EXACTLY how strong Damon was. He was stronger than anyone she'd ever met. She just couldn't believe that for ten years she's never noticed this secret of his.

Just like she didn't notice his problems with his dad. She was a horrible best friend.

 _Your a brother to me_  
 _Your my partner in crime_  
 _Your the feeling I get_  
 _When I'm feeling fine_  
 _Part of me wants you_  
 _But most of me needs you_  
 _So I wont fall unless you ask me_

A few hours later, after talking with the girls, Elena went to go find Damon and found Stefan. Enzo had already left to find Bonnie.

"Hey." Elena said quietly when she found him playing pool by himself. Probably practicing to be better than Damon.

Stefan set down the stick when he saw her. "Hey," he said awkwardly.

"He told you." She knew automatically.

"Did you not want him to? In that case, then no."

Elena laughed. "It's fine." She then frowned. "Did you know how he felt?"

Stefan sighed. "Yeah. I did. I could always tell. When we were dating, his attitude suddenly changed until we broke up. Roughest two weeks of my life." He joked.

"I can't believe that I couldn't see it. I'm blind to my best friends feelings."

"Hey, no you're not," Stefan scolded her. "Just to his feelings about you."

She shook her head. "No. You don't understand Stefan. I'm blind to everything about him. Everyone is." She said, not realizing just what she was almost admitting. Damon's biggest secret. Well, one of them.

"What are you talking about?"

She shook her head again. "Nothing. Do you know where he went?"

"He said he left something at your house and went to pick it up." Then he sighed, knowing the next part was going to hurt her. "He's staying at mine tonight.""

"What? Why?" Elena asked, shocked.

"He needs time." Stefan explained to her. "His best friend just rejected him."

"You know that I love him." Elena told him softly.

Stefan nodded. "I know that. And so does he. But not like that. That's not your fault, he knows that too. But that doesn't mean that it doesn't hurt him." Stefan spoke softly, trying to get Elena to understand.

But Elena just wanted to cry. She wanted to cry for the friendship that she just destroyed. She never wanted to be the one to make him feel like that.

To be honest, she didn't know how she felt. Yeah, she always knew that he was attractive, probably the most attractive person she had ever met, and sometimes she wanted to grab his head and kiss his perfect lips, but wasn't that just attraction? Was there something more behind those thoughts?

 _Your a brother to me_  
 _Your my partner in crime_  
 _Your the feeling I get  
_ _When I'm feeling fine  
_ _Part of me wants you  
_ _But most of me needs you  
_ _So I wont fall unless you ask me_

 **This is mainly a filler chapter. I was on vacation and haven't been able to write too much but hopefully this will keep you satisfied until I can edit the next chapter. I will hopefully have a longer and more exciting chapter for you all in the coming week. If any of you ever get a chance to visit Virginia Beach, I highly encourage it! It's beautiful and I'm now planning a chapter where our lovely characters make a trip there, but it won't be coming for a while, remember, it's only September for these characters!**

 **Thank you to reviewers Angelpete87, PR. Salvatore, and maayan21051.**

 **I am planning on elaborating the relationship between Bonnie and Damon. It isn't going to be a complete hate relationship like on the first seasons. It's going to be more season 6 and most of season 7, when they were really close. But Damon is going to annoy the hell out of her lol. But no Bamon relationship, only friendship, even though I kind of ship it (but not as endgame).**

 **Song: Ask Me To by Phoebe Bridgers. Haven't heard? Go check it out! It's also called Steamroller. The song is more in the opposite perspective than what I wanted though. This is in the girl's but in my story it's the boy's, Damon's. Kind of why he never did anything about his feelings.**

 **NEXT: I** **ncludes a talk (not THE talk) between Damon and Elena, and also Elena and Caroline, and Damon, Stefan, and Stefan's mom. And guess whose back?! Giuseppe will be returning and not for the last time.**


	6. X & Y

**Okay, so this took way longer than I had originally intended. I've had it done for weeks but haven't been able to find time to get to a computer to edit or post it. I also had a few problems with finding the perfect song, which I think I did. I had family come visit me for a couple weeks and then I had a family wedding to plan for and go to. The wedding was yesterday so now I have more time for you!**

 **Prepare yourselves and enjoy ;)**

* * *

 **Chapter 6**

 _Trying hard to speak and_  
 _Fighting with my weak hand_  
 _Driven to distraction_  
 _So part of the plan_  
 _When something is broken_  
 _And you try to fix it_  
 _Trying to repair it_  
 _Any way you can_

As soon as Elena got home, she immediately went to the basement to find Damon in the spare room packing up the bag that he had at Elena's. Since he didn't end up going back to his own house after Elena found out about everything, he only had his school bag and some clothes that he had left at Elena's previously, but he only had a couple pairs and those were all dirty now.

"Hey," she said softly, getting Damon's attention.

He jumped while turning around to see her. He then turned back to his task at hand, which was cleaning up the bedroom to make it look like he hadn't slept there the past couple of nights.

"Hi."

She sighed. "Damon, you don't have to leave just because of last night."

"I've been staying here too long anyway."

She shook her head. "You know that you can stay here as long as you need."

"I'm going to Stefan's."

"I know." She then thought about how he didn't have any clothes with him. "What are you doing about clothes. You don't have any at Stefan's, do you?"

He shook his head and answered without looking at her. "I'm going home to get some."

Her eyes widened. "What? Damon, no! You can't go back there! He could kill you!"

He turned toward her and rolled his eyes. "Relax. I'm bringing Stefan. He won't do anything with Stefan there. And he won't kill me. It would cause questions."

"It doesn't matter, Damon. If he's drunk, he won't care who's with you!"

"Oh do you even care?!" He yelled.

Her eyes widened. Who was this? This was NOT the Damon that she knew. The Damon that she grew up with didn't yell at her. EVER.

"Who are you? Of course I care! You're my best friend! I LOVE you Dam-"

"But not like that, right?" He interrupted. "It's fine. Listen, I'm going to go."

He started heading for the door but was stopped by Elena's hand on his arm.

"Promise me that you won't go home, Damon."

He paused. He had never once in his life lied to her and didn't want to start now. But he honestly didn't know what he was going to do. "Okay." He whispered.

She visibly relaxed next to him as he walked out the door.

 _I'm diving off the deep end  
You become my best friend_  
 _I_ _wanna love_ _you  
But I don't know if I can_

He arrived at Stefan's not too long after that.

He saw his cousin talking to his aunt when he walked straight into the living room.

"Damon!" He heard his aunt squeal in excitement. The family hasn't seen much of Damon in the past few weeks.

She got up and lunged herself at the boy.

"Hi Aunt Sarah." He gritted out through his teeth. He was still very sore.

She immediately pulled. "Oh did I hurt you? I'm so sorry! Stefan told me what happened," she stated, sympathetically looking at him. Then her eyes got hard and she had an angry look on her face. "How could you be so careless? Stairs are dangerous! What were you doing that was so much more important than paying attention?" And there was Mother Bear.

Damon laughed. "Don't worry. Dr. Fell fixed me up and now I'm as good as new!" He looked down at himself. "Well, I will be."

"And how is your father? I know you haven't been home much lately and he's not too happy about that."

Damon sighed. "We've been fighting a lot and I didn't feel like I needed the added stress, so I've been staying with Elena." It wasn't exactly a lie.

"I know. You kids are basically married!" Sarah laughed.

"Yeah, well we're about to be divorced." He said bitterly.

Sarah's eyes widened. "What? Why? What happened?"

"We kissed. She regrets it. I'm moving on."

Sarah's eyes softened on the boy in front of her. She had known this boy for almost 18 years and he had never once given up on anything, but it seemed that he had already given up on this girl.

"You just need to show her how you feel, instead of telling her. Get her chocolate and flowers."

"She made it pretty damn clear how she feels." He said, still bitter.

"Language!"

"Sorry." Damon mumbled.

Stefan decided to put his input in. "Damon, did she ever say the words 'I'm not in love with you'?"

"Well no..."

"Then how do you know? She doesn't know how she feels. I can tell just by looking at her. She doesn't want to lose you."

Damon's features softened. "I just need time. To think about things."

His aunt and cousin both nodded, understanding

 _I know something is broken_  
 _And I'm trying to fix it_  
 _Trying to repair it_  
 _Any way I can_

Back at Elena's, she was laying in her bed. She was crying her eyes out over the friendship she thinks is over.

She didn't know how she feels. She doesn't know what she wants from him. But what she does know is that she wants this boy to stay in her life until she dies.

She didn't know what love was. She had never experienced being in love before. She was never in love with Matt or Stefan, she knew that. She had always loved Damon, since the moment she met him. Was it just love? Was it her being IN love? He's the most important person in her life that wasn't her blood. There were things that she could never tell Stefan or the girls but she told Damon, because she felt like she had to. No, she WANTED to. Even when she got her first period and didn't know what it was or what to do (since she was eleven) she immediately called him, crying. He was the one who told her that she needed to go downstairs right away and tell her parents that something was wrong after he helped calm her down. He was the only one who could ever do that, and now she might lose him forever.

She heard noise coming up the stairs and a knock on her door. Figuring it was her mother, she didn't respond to the knock. The door opened to reveal Caroline.

"Elena? Your mom said I could come up here." Caroline said softly.

Elena picked up her head. She had just seen the girl, why was she here? She just wanted to be left alone.

"What are you doing here?"

"Damon called me. Said you might need a friend."

Of course he did. Even when he was pissed at her, he still wanted to make sure she was okay.

"Bonnie was with Enzo so she couldn't come. Are you okay?"

She shook her head. "Hell no. This is something that I'd usually talk to Damon about. But I can't."

Caroline nodded. "I know. I remember after every time that you and Matt would break up, you were crying and he'd always come to your rescue and defend you. Even if it was your fault." Care laughed and so did Elena.

"Yeah. I mean, it wasn't Matt's fault that Aaron kissed me and I lied about it, but Damon had my back and fought with Matt about it for weeks, even when Matt forgave me."

Caroline laughed again.

"I miss him, Care."

Caroline nodded. "I know you do. You can talk to me about this. Not just Damon."

"I know. And you can talk to me if you ever have a problem with Stefan."

Care smiled. "Thanks," then she paused. "I mean why Stefan?" She asked, trying to be nonchalant.

"Care, I know."

"How? Did he tell you?!"

Elena laughed. "He didn't have to. You both are so obviously in love. How long have you been together?"

Caroline cringed. "About a month and a half..."

"Wow. You keep a secret longer than I thought."

"Well it's not a secret anymore."

Elena had sympathetic eyes. "At least you two know that you love each other. Damon kept it from me for ten years and now the boy I'm in love with is giving me the silent treatment." Elena said, not realizing what she had just admitted to herself and Caroline.

Caroline stopped and looked at her friend. "Wait, what did you say?"

Elena thought about what she said before it dawned on her. "Oh my god. I'm in love with Damon." She breathed.

Caroline smiled. "You have to tell him!"

"You're right! I have to go Care. Thank you for everything!" She gave her friend a hug and ran out her bedroom door and down the stairs. She slipped her flip flops on and grabbed her keys that were hanging next to the front door.

 _Ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh..._

She didn't remember getting in the car or even driving, but she was pretty sure that she had sped.

She knocked on Stefan's front door really fast and really hard, hurting her fist, but she didn't care. She only cared about telling Damon how she felt.

Stefan answered the door quickly, but to her it wasn't quick enough.

"Elena? I told you that he needs time." Stefan said softly.

"I know, and you'll make a great therapist one day Stefan, but right now, I need to see him."

"Elena..." He trailed off, not knowing what to say to get her to understand.

"Please. Oh and congratulations on Caroline." She said quickly, before she forgot.

"She told you?"

"I guessed."

Of course she did. She could always read people pretty well. Her closest friends the most. They used to say that she was like a superhero. "It's so funny that you could tell we're in love but not that Damon is." Stefan laughed.

"It's harder to tell when you aren't seeing it before your eyes." She explained.

Stefan nodded, understanding.

"Please let me see him. I need to talk to him."

Stefan sighed. "He gave you ten years. Give him a couple days."

"It is NOT my fault that he didn't tell me." She said, defending herself.

"I know. I understand that, but he's hurting and seeing you is going to make it worse."

"Ten minutes. That's all I need."

Stefan thought for a minute before nodding. "Okay. Come in. He'll be back soon."

Elena's head shot up. "Back? Where is he?!" She asked, dreading the answer.

"He went home to get some stuff."

Elena's eyes widened. He had PROMISED her that he wouldn't go home alone. He lied to her for the first time ever. Well, second if you count never telling her that he was in love with her. "NO. Nonononono!"

"What's the problem with that?"

"Giuseppe's been beating him, Stefan!" She didn't realize what she had said until after. She had just admitted one of Damon's biggest secrets. Something that Damon will hate her for.

Stefan's eyes widened. "What?"

Elena sighed. "He didn't fall down the stairs Stefan. Giuseppe hurt him."

"How long have you known?" She could tell that he was trying to hold in his anger at her.

"Only a couple of days. I was hiding in his room while he beat him. Then I took him to the hospital the next day to get his cast and stitches and make sure he was okay." She told him.

"And you didn't think to tell anyone? The police maybe?! Your best girl friend's mother?!"

"I wanted to! But he wouldn't let me and he trusted me not to!"

"Yeah, well now he's alone in that house with the jackass!"

Elena realized how stupid it was that they were fighting while Damon could be seriously hurt. "We have to go get him. Now."

Stefan silently agreed as they ran across the street. Noticing that Giuseppe's car, that had been there when she arrived at Stefan's, was gone.

 _You and me are floating on a tidal wave..._  
 _Together_  
 _You and me are_ _drifting_ _into outer space..._  
 _And singing_

While this was going on, Damon was packing up some clean clothes. He also grabbed his dead phone and charger that he had left behind. He put it all in an extra backpack that he had in his closet. He knew that his father was home and was hoping that he could get everything and get out of there as soon as possible.

He left his room and quietly closed his door so that his father couldn't hear him.

Unfortunately for him, the floors were very old and squeaky.

He got to the stairs when he heard his father behind him.

"So you finally decided to show your face, huh boy?" He heard his father grumble.

Damon turned around to face him. "Well I haven't been in the mood to see YOURS these past few days."

Giuseppe was shocked at how Damon was talking to him. "Don't you DARE talk to me like that! I am your FATHER."

"Then start acting like it." Damon was shocked at himself. He had never stood up to Giuseppe but he was FED UP with everything.

The next thing he knew, he was falling down the stairs. Everything hurt. He tried to get up but he couldn't. He couldn't move anything.

His father stomped down the stairs and stopped at Damon. He grabbed the hair on his son's head and lifted it up. "Don't mess with me." He spoke softly but firmly and left the house without another word.

Since Damon's phone was dead, he couldn't call for help, and even if he wanted to, he couldn't move to get it out of his bag.

He could tell that he was bleeding from his head, and he would probably need a new cast for his arm and have his stitches redone along with getting more. He felt more bruises beginning and it was hurting to breathe. He probably broke more ribs.

 _Ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh..._

Elena and Stefan rushed into the house as fast as possible. The first thing the two saw was a weakened Damon nearing unconsciousness.

"Damon!" Elena yelled and ran to him. "What happened?"

"Dad." He said weakly. He looked at Stefan, who was now kneeling in front of him. "You promised not to tell him."

"And _you_ promised you wouldn't come here alone." She scolded him.

"Touché." He laughed and then winced because it hurt.

"Where do you hurt?" Stefan asked him.

"Everywhere. Can't breathe well." He was starting to lose consciousness.

"Damon, you need to stay awake. I'm calling 911." Stefan told him as he dialed. Damon was in too much pain to object.

"I love you 'Lena." He said as he started closing his eyes.

Elena was crying. "Damon! Stay awake! Please!"

"Trying."

She eventually decided, though this was the worst time, she couldn't wait. She needed to tell him in case he'd never hear her say it. "I love you, Damon." She said softly.

"I know." He whispered.

"No. Damon, I'm in love with you."

He tried to smile before his world went black.

 _You and me are floating on a tidal wave..._  
 _Together_  
 _You and me are drifting into outer space_  
 _You and me are floating on a tidal wave..._  
 _Together_  
 _You and me are drifting into outer space..._  
 _And singing_

* * *

 **This wasn't my best chapter but I'm really liking the next one. I'm thinking of possibly adding some flashbacks to the next chapter but I have not decided yet. It's already a decent length but I want you all to get a glimpse of their past and friendship, because you didn't see much of their friendship before all this drama went down. The next one should be up sometime this week, so look out for that. I have written out everything in the present for that chapter already. It's going to be emotional for every character involved.**

 **SONG: X & Y by Coldplay**

 **NEXT: Damon fights for his life and everyone discovers the truth.**

 **Sneak peek at next time:**

 ** _"I'm a witness!"_**

 _ **"There were some complications. He flatlined..."**_

 _ **"You lied to me. Please don't leave me. I love you."**_


	7. Say Something

**This is the longest one so far! I gave you a flashback somewhere in the middle that I hope doesn't disappoint you too much!**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Chapter 7**

 _"I love you, Damon." She said softly._

 _"I know." He whispered._

 _"No. Damon, I'm in love with you."_

 _He tried to smile before his world went black._

 _Say something, I'm giving up on you_  
 _I'll be the one if you want me to_  
 _Anywhere I would've followed you_  
 _Say something, I'm giving up on you_

"DAMON!" Elena screamed. She didn't even recognize her own voice. She was paralyzed in fear. The fear of losing her best friend.

She didn't comprehend the noises outside of her head. She didn't hear Stefan tell her that Sheriff Forbes and the ambulance had arrived. She didn't notice the door behind her opening. She didn't move. Not until she was being pried off of Damon. She was smacked back into the real world. She didn't know who it was until he turned her around. It was Stefan. Of course it was. He wasn't stupid. He knew she'd be pissed at him for pulling her away, but he was feeling brave. They wouldn't be able to help Damon if Elena was on top of him.

Stefan may have been in right frame of mind, but that didn't mean that he wasn't scared. He was _terrified_. This was his cousin, almost his brother. He couldn't lose him. But he needed to stay strong for Elena. He remembered how heartbroken Elena had been when her grandparents had died, Damon had been the one to pull her back to earth. If Damon died, he didn't know who would ever be able to save Elena from oblivion.

He knew her. He knew what Elena needed when she was sad. When she was angry. When she just needed to talk to _someone_. The one thing that all of those had in common were Damon.

Elena was crying on Stefan's shoulder outside. He had taken her out there to get some air and give the people helping Damon some space to do just that.

Liz Forbes came out to talk to them. She had always been close to Damon, especially since his mother died. She had been close with her and felt the need to bond with the woman's son, as well. But she had to stay calm. It came with the job.

"Elena? Can I ask you some questions?" She asked sincerely.

Elena turned to look at Caroline's mother and nodded slowly.

Liz smiled at her slightly.

"Do you know what happened? Was he pushed?"

Elena nodded.

"Who was it?" Liz had a feeling that she knew the answered, but needed to hear it from Elena herself.

Elena looked at Stefan, not knowing if she should blab the secret once again, and then looked back to Liz. "I promised I wouldn't tell..." She said quietly.

Liz nodded. "I understand. But it's for his safety and I need you to try and tell me what you know."

Elena nodded. This was her fault, she realized. If she had just told Liz sooner...

"His dad." Elena sobbed.

"Did he tell you that?"

She nodded. "He told me that he's been beating him. I found out a few days ago. Then I came here to check on him with Stefan and we found him..." She was missing some things but Liz didn't need to know _all_ the details right?

"Where's his dad?"

Stefan stepped in. "We don't know. Do you think you could find him?"

"We'll try. We need to question him and hear Damon's side before we take him into custody."

Elena's eyes widened. "NO! He'll deny everything! Both of them! Giuseppe is all Damon has. He won't risk losing that."

Liz looked sympathetically at Elena. "That's not true. He has you. Stefan. My daughter. Bonnie. So many people who care about him. I'm sorry Elena. But there's nothing else we can do if there's no proof or admission from either party."

Elena nodded. She understood, she just didn't want to believe that Giuseppe could walk free.

Elena calmed down when she had a question for Liz. "Do you think that he'll be alright?"

"I have faith. He's not ready to leave us yet."

 _And I... am feeling so small_  
 _It was over my head_  
 _I know nothing at all_  
 _And I... will stumble and fall_  
 _I'm still learning to love_  
 _Just starting to crawl_

They then decided to head to the hospital, not knowing if Damon was okay or not. Sheriff Forbes went too to see what was going on with Damon. He needed surgery. A surgery that they couldn't perform without parental consent.

Elena was outraged. "He could die if you don't do this now!"

"He could die if we do." The doctor explained calmly. Too calmly. To him, this was just another patient. He couldn't care less and it was pissing Elena off. "If something happens, the hospital could get sued, and I can lose my job."

"He could lose his _life_!" Elena yelled.

"Legally speaking, we can't risk it Miss Gilbert. I'm sorry."

"Where's Dr Fell? I want a second opinion."

"Miss-"

"Just answer her." Sheriff Forbes told the man.

"I'll go get her." The doctor rolled his eyes.

Dr Fell came within seconds. She must have been close by.

"Elena?" She asked shocked. She had known the girl for years. Meredith Fell worked with her father at the hospital. She had also been the one to treat Damon a few days before. "What are you doing here?"

"Dad is in the OR or something so I needed to talk to you. Damon's hurt. They won't do the surgery until his father signs the paper. Please tell me that you can help him." Elena pleaded.

Meredith looked sympathetic towards the teenager. "Smith, Mr Salvatore's file, please." She looked to the non-sympathetic Doctor. He handed it over and Meredith looked at it suspiciously. "Another fall down the stairs?"

Elena nodded slowly. Meredith immediately felt like she knew what was going on. Everyone in town knew what a huge asshole Giuseppe Salvatore was.

"Call Stefan's parents. Get them here right away." Meredith demanded.

"Why?" Stefan who was behind Elena asked.

"They're his god parents. When you can't get ahold of the actual guardians, you call the next person on the list. They can sign. Hurry." Stefan started dialing.

Grayson Gilbert started coming into the waiting area to inform his previous patients family on her surgery when he saw his daughter. He was confused. She hated hospitals and didn't ever come to visit. He showed her his index finger to tell her he'd be right with her.

"She should be awake in the next couple of hours. The surgery went nicely. Remember to have her take it easy. She was lucky that the car wasn't going too fast when it hit her. You may go see her." He told the family, rushing because he knew something was wrong. He went to his daughter and Meredith as soon as he was finished. "What's going on?" He asked.

Meredith handed him the file. "It's Damon. We need to operate as soon as Stefan's parents get here to sign the papers."

Grayson was shocked as he read the file of his second son. "Where's Giuseppe?"

"Unavailable."

Grayson nodded. "Of course. Don't worry Elena. Meredith and I will make sure that he's going to be fine." He hugged his sobbing daughter and kissed her forehead.

Zack and Sarah Salvatore came running into the hospital as fast as humanly possible. They saw Grayson and Meredith and immediately ran to them.

"Where is he?" Sarah cried.

"They are prepping him for surgery." Meredith told them. She had ordered Dr Smith before Grayson showed up to get him ready for the surgery so that they could start immediately after the papers were signed.

"You need to sign these papers." Grayson told Zack, and handed the papers to him. Zack didn't even read them over, he just signed.

"Save my nephew. I'm trusting you with his life Gilbert."

"I understand. Dr Fell and I will both be operating. We are the highest trained surgeons in this hospital."

Of course, the Salvatore's knew that, but that didn't mean that they weren't scared.

"We'll update you when we know more." Dr Fell explained to all of them.

They immediately ran to go start the surgery as Elena began to remember the last time she and her friends experienced such grief.

 _Say something, I'm giving up on you_  
 _I'm sorry that I couldn't get to you_  
 _Anywhere I would've followed you_  
 _Say something, I'm giving up on you_

 **Flashback**

 _It was just past 2 on that deadly Friday. Damon had been sitting, waiting for his mother to show up. She would always pick him up on Fridays and then they would go do something together. She was an amazing woman in his eyes. Working all that she could to provide for them. They had a nice house that they had inherited from her husband's parents. The family could've sold it to get more money since they didn't have the nicest jobs, but it was too special. Lily Salvatore was a waitress at Mystic Grill and Giuseppe owned a bar that didn't make the best money. Lily had just gotten laid off so her husband was the only one working._

 _They weren't make a lot of money, but it was enough for the basic things, such as food. They owned the house and didn't have to pay mortgage, but still had to pay for maintenance. Giuseppe's parents left them more money but only for absolute emergencies, and this didn't qualify._

 _Damon had been waiting for a half hour, longer than he ever had before for his timely mother, when the black Chevy showed up. The door opened, revealing it to be his Uncle Zack._

 _"Uncle Zack?" The twelve year old asked, confused. "What are you doing here?"_

 _The older man sighed and went to sit next to his nephew._

 _"There's something I need to tell you."_

 _"Can you tell me later? Mom's on her way and I don't want to make her wait once she gets here."_

 _Uncle Zack went silent, thinking for a moment. How could he possible the this boy next to him that he was waiting for something that would never happen? This would be the_ _absolute worst day of this child's life and he would never forget it._

 _"Your mom..." Uncle Zack trailed off._

 _"She's on her way, right?" Damon said, knowing now that something horrible was coming._

 _"No, she's not." Uncle Zack had tears in his eyes. "There was an accident. I'm so sorry Damon. She's gone."_

 _Damon's eyes widened. "No. NO! Your lying! She'll be here any second! She promised me!"_

 _"Let's go home. Talk to your dad?"_

 _"No, she's going to wonder where I went."_ He was in denial _, Zack realized._

 _Somehow, Zack managed to convince the mess of a boy to get in the car and go home._

 _Giuseppe was angry, it wasn't hard to tell, but he still managed to explain the whole thing to Damon and Zack._

 _She had been on her way to get her son. When the light turned green, she didn't look to make sure there wasn't a car coming. Another man had run a red light and hit her. Both were dead on impact._

 _No last words._

 _No goodbyes._

 _Just. Dead._

 _Giuseppe blamed him. Said the whole thing was Damon's fault._

 _Damon believed him._

 _If he would've just ridden the bus that day then none of that would've happened._

 _Giuseppe sent him to his room. He didn't want to see him. Didn't want to be in the same room as the boy who killed his wife._

 _Damon was in his room, like he was told, but he couldn't stay there. He felt claustrophobic. He needed Elena. Or even Stefan. Just someone to assure him that everything was okay. That it wasn't his fault, even though he believed it was and always would. He crawled through his upstairs window and climbed down the house. Then he ran. Ran all the way down the street and around the corner until he reached the Gilbert's._

 _He climbed up her house and through her window, as he had done time and again._

 _She wasn't in the room._

 _He assumed that she was probably having dinner with her family or something. So he just sat on her bed and waited. Waited for his best friend to swoop to his rescue. To be the superhero that they all thought she was._

 _When Elena came in the room, the first thing she saw didn't shock her. She was used to seeing Damon on her bed when she walked in. Giuseppe wasn't mean, but he was VERY strict and wouldn't let him out of the house after a certain time, so he would sneak out and sneak into her room, never once getting caught._

 _The second thing she saw was the one that had her stop in her tracks._

 _He had tears streaming down his cheeks. He was genuinely a tough guy. He didn't cry at too many things. That's what had Elena worried. She knew immediately that something was very wrong._

 _"Damon?" She treaded carefully. "What happened?"_

 _He responded immediately. "She's gone 'Lena. My mom is dead."_

 _"What?" She breathed out, her eyes wide. How was that possible?_

 _"Some accident. It doesn't matter. What matters is that it was all my fault."_

 _"What are you talking about?"_

 _"She was on her way to get me."_

 _"Damon, it was not your fault. Not unless you were driving the car and you weren't."_

 _Damon nodded, pretending to believe her._

 _She texted Stefan on her flip phone (her parents just wanted her to stop nagging them and got her the cheapest they could get). His father had apparently told him what had happened after he took Damon home. Stefan crawled in through the window ten minutes later._

 _The three best friends spent the better part of that night grieving together. There lives were never the same after that. Damon was more closed off than he ever had been. The friends themselves had become closer. They had been through bad times together but that was probably the worst of it. They knew then what real friendship was like and vowed to never let each other go._

 **End Flashback.**

 _And I... will swallow my pride_  
 _You're the one that I love_  
 _And I'm saying goodbye_

Elena had called her mother when they took off. She needed her mom. She had Stefan, but her mother was a woman. A woman who could hold her when she cried and stroke her hair.

When her mother showed up, it was clear that she had cried a little too.

Miranda assured her daughter that her husband was the best doctor in the world, and Meredith the second best.

Stefan, of course, called Caroline to tell her what happened. He needed his girlfriend to be there for him while his cousin was in the hospital. Caroline was probably the one to call Bonnie, and Bonnie obviously called Enzo. They all came running in at the same time.

"Elena!" Bonnie cried. "Is he..." She trailed off.

Elena shrugged. "It's been an hour. They haven't told us anything."

Bonnie nodded, understanding that that might be a good thing. That might mean that he's still alive. Bonnie hugged the broken girl.

"I need him to be okay!" Elena sobbed.

Bonnie was silently crying. Not just because the girl in her arms was a broken mess, but because the boy on the table was too amazing of a person for this to be happening to him. She cried for the friendship that she had made in the past few years. No matter how much they got on each other's nerves, he was still her friend. One of her closest. She cried because that boy was finally getting everything that he'd ever wanted. _Elena_.

"I know. We all do."

Caroline was the next one to hug Elena. It wasn't for too long because she felt the need to have comfort in her boyfriend and do all that she could to comfort him back. To assure him that Damon would make it out there. She had to be strong.

Enzo's face was blank. He showed no trace of emotion. He couldn't feel it. Bonnie just wanted him to say something. To show her that he cared about what was going on even though she knew that he did. Boys never said it, but Enzo loved Damon, and Damon loved him. Bonnie knew. Nobody had to say it. They had an odd bromance going on. Damon seemed to be good at those because he had one with their history teacher too.

Bonnie sat with Enzo a seat away from Elena. She looked at him and watched him stare across the room.

"Say something. Anything." Bonnie begged him with tears in her eyes.

"I know-" Enzo's voice broke. "I know I'm not his best friend. But he's mine. And now..."

"Hey. Yes you are. Do you even realize how many best friends Damon Salvatore has? You're one of them. He loves you."

"What if he..." Enzo trails off.

"He'll be okay, baby. He has too many people praying for him for him not to be." Bonnie assured him. She wasn't the super religious type, but she believed that if enough people pray for something, then God would grant that wish.

Enzo nodded, wanting to believe what she did. Wishing he could be like her and have that optimistic-ness that she did, but he was too scared to try.

The next person to enter the hospital was Elena's Aunt Jenna and Alaric.

They were obviously distressed.

"Is he okay?" Ric rushed out. "Can I see him? I need to see him!"

Ric loved Damon. He'd always crack jokes with him and Ric didn't have a lot of guy friends in Mystic Falls. Damon was a boy he loved to hang out with. Since Damon's dad was barely a dad, he'd occasionally take Damon to do activities that fathers and sons would do. Since all of the the other father figures in Damon's life had their own kids, Ric would have most of his attention on Damon. The other father figures didn't necessarily neglect Damon, they just didn't have time to focus on and only on him.

"Baby, slow down. They are all here, not sobbing, that must mean that he's okay... Right?" Jenna asked slowly but hopefully.

Miranda answered them. "He's still in surgery. We don't know anything."

"I knew I should've went to the cops with this. It's my fault!" Alaric stressed.

Elena and Stefan's eyes widened as they looked at him and then to each other before looking back at him.

"What?" He looked at everyone's confused faces.

"They don't know." Stefan told him.

"We don't know what?" Caroline asked, confused.

"Let Damon tell y-" Stefan started before getting cut off.

"He didn't just fall down the stairs." Elena said bitterly.

"Elena..." Stefan warned.

"No Stefan. They should know. I'm not keeping this a secret anymore. If I had just said something before this wouldn't have happened." Stefan and Ric told her to go on. "It was his father."

"What?!" They all yelled.

Caroline shook her head. "No. He may be an asshole but he wouldn't do this to his son!" She always wanted to see the best in people, no matter what.

Bonnie, on the other hand, believed it. She may have been an optimistic, but she always worried for Damon's safety. He lived with that man! "Where's Giuseppe now?" She asked.

"We don't know." Stefan responded. "Caroline's mom is looking for him."

"Wait." Caroline was shocked. "My mom knew and didn't tell me? She didn't call me after finding him?"

"She just found out today and she's probably too busy looking for Uncle Giuseppe to worry about telling you." Stefan explained, softly.

Caroline nodded, understanding.

Just then, Elena's phone started to ring.

"Hello?" She answered without looking at caller ID.

"I found him." Sheriff Forbes told her. "He won't admit anything though. We need a statement from Damon first. We can't legally hold him against his will."

"You can't let him go!" Elena yelled.

"I have to."

"Get a statement from me!" She blurted out. Nobody knew what she had witnessed that day that she found out except for her, Damon and Stefan but now they were about to. "I'm a witness."

"You found him. You didn't see it happen."

"I didn't see it happen _today_." She corrected. "A few days ago, I was there. I'm a witness. I know you can't hold him for pushing Damon but you can for something else. I need you to get my statement so you can hold him. At least until Damon wakes up. Please." Elena begged.

"I'll be there soon." Liz promised.

Miranda Gilbert looked at her daughter in shock. "What did you mean Elena?"

Elena sighed. "I was at Damon's. Giuseppe came into his room and started beating him. I was hiding in Damon's closet." She explained briefly. She hated thinking about that moment where she felt so useless over the safety of that boy.

Miranda couldn't believe it. Her baby girl could have been hurt if Damon's dad had seen her. "Oh baby..." Miranda cried, hugging her daughter.

"I'm fine, Mom. He didn't even know I was there. It's Damon who isn't, and I need to make a statement as a witness."

Miranda nodded, understanding where her girl was coming from.

When Liz showed up, Elena told her everything from Damon acting weird at school to the moments leading up to finding him at the bottom of the stairs. Of course, no one could put Giuseppe in prison until Damon could tell Liz what happened, but they now had reason to hold him over night, hoping that Damon would be awake by then.

Grayson and Meredith walked towards the group of people all waiting for the news on their beloved friend. By the looks on the two faces coming from the OR, it didn't look good.

Elena was the first to see them and immediately stood up.

"How is he? Is he okay?" She said quickly.

Grayson looked at Meredith and sighed. "There were some complications..."

Stefan stood up too. "What is it? He's going to be fine right? Tell me that he's going to be fine!" Stefan stresses, showcasing more worry than had that night.

"He had a collapsed lung," Grayson started.

"Just tell me that he's alive!" Elena yelled.

"He flatlined-" Elena breathed a sob when Meredith interrupted Grayson.

"He's alive!" Meredith assured everyone on the room. "He's not awake yet but he's alive."

Elena, along with everyone else breathed a sigh of relief. Elena cried at the relief she felt with him being alive. Her mom put an arm around her.

"We repaired the collapsed lung as best we could. He'll be in a lot of pain when he wakes up and will have trouble breathing. We've put in a tube so that he doesn't need to breathe on his own. We put him in a medical coma and will wake when he's ready." Grayson explained.

 _Say something, I'm giving up on you_  
 _And I'm sorry that I couldn't get to you_  
 _And anywhere I would've followed you (Oh-Ooh)_  
 _Say something, I'm giving up on you_

Elena sat by her best friend's bedside. She didn't know what time it was, nor how long she had been there, but she wasn't going to leave any time soon.

Damon came out of the surgery a couple hours after he was admitted to the hospital. Her father told her that he was most likely going to be just fine. But first; he had to wake up.

She sat with him as soon as they made it back to his room. She didn't want to leave him, so she didn't. It had probably been a few hours. Elena watched him for any sudden movements.

She hadn't yet spoken to him, but her father told her that it might help him to hear the voice of someone he loves whispering reassuring words and informing him on what was going on.

"I know that you probably can't hear me... But it's worth a try. Dad told me that he thinks you're going to be fine. He's seen people come out of worse than you have and he did his best work on you. Everyone is waiting for you to wake up, we all need you to. You need to tell Liz what happened. I gave a statement but it's not good enough to charge him." She was soft through every word that she said. "Aunt Sarah and Uncle Zack are going to let you stay with them for a while. Stefan is going to crazy but he's trying not to show it, but I think we all know that he's not okay. None of us are." She then took a deep breath before she started sobbing. "You lied to me. You promised you wouldn't go alone. Please don't leave me, baby. Please come back to me. Please, please." She rested her chin on her arms that were on the bed. "I love you." She whispered, calmer than before.

Elena grabbed his hand and held it for a few moments when, unexpectedly, his fingers started to move.

 _Say something, I'm giving up on you_  
 _Say something..._

 **So I was going to keep going but I thought I'd leave you all with a cliffhanger ;) I know that when I said that I was going to add flashbacks you probably expected more, so I am sorry to disappoint. I couldn't think of anything that would have anything to do with this chapter and I didn't want to take away from the emotion. You also had a MAJOR lack of Damon so I gave you some young Damon. I want you all to have an idea of what happened to his mother and how distressed he was, and he does indeed still blame himself, you know how he is!**

 **I am not a huge Benzo (is that the ship name?) fan, but I don't really like Bonnie with anyone and I want her to not be the single one like she usually is for this fic. So they are in love in this but I'm not a huge fan of it in the show (sorry if you're not there yet). The only person that I think I'd like her with is Damon but I want him with Elena and this is a Delena fic anyway, haha.**

 **I hope you like seeing the emotion that everyone else other than Elena was feeling toward this. I want people to see how important Damon really is to people, because in most fanfiction, it's kind of like the early seasons of the show where everyone hates him, besides Alaric, and occasionally Elena and Stefan when they aren't pissed off.**

 **SONG: Say Something by Great Big World. I was going to choose I Should Go but I decided that it would be better to use that when it's in Damon's POV and I didn't want to waste. Maybe another time... Wait! Am I foreshadowing? ;) Sorry to those who saw that I already updated this chapter and are confused. I originally chose Chasing Cars for a song and then I heard Say Something and I got so mad at myself because it's perfect so 10 minutes after uploading, I deleted the chapter, edited and... lost internet connection... but here we are!**

 **SORRY FOR THE DREADFULLY LONG AND PROBABLY BORING TO YA'LL A/N! REVIEW FRIENDS! I RUN ON REVIEWS!**


	8. I Won't Let Go

**I'm so incredible sorry that this took so long! I have been working so much and I've had a pretty busy summer. I've had this typed up for awhile, it was just having the time to edit and transfer it to my laptop that was the issue. My laptop is kind of a pain in the butt. So, after an hour of editing and a month of no updates... HERE WE GO! Enjoy :)**

* * *

 **Chapter 8**

 _"You lied to me. You promised you wouldn't go alone. Please don't leave me, baby. Please come back to me. Please, please." She rested her chin on her arms that were on the bed. "I love you." She whispered, calmer than before._

 _Elena grabbed his hand and held it for a few moments when, unexpectedly, his fingers started to move._

* * *

 _It's like a storm_  
 _That cuts a path_  
 _It's breaks_ _your_ _will  
It feels like that_

 _You_ _think you're lost  
But your not lost __on_ _your own  
You're not alone_

Caroline entered into the big chapel. It was empty. No one was there, all except for one person. One person who didn't pray. Who didn't have any sense of religion. Who didn't believe in it.

Stefan sat in a seat, with his hands together and his head down. He didn't speak, but Caroline assumed that he was thinking his prayer instead of saying it aloud.

Stefan must have heard her quiet footsteps because when she got closer he put his head up. He didn't turn to look at her, but it was clear that the prayer had stopped.

"He's going to be fine." Caroline assured him softly as she sat beside him.

He nodded, not fully believing her. "I know. I'm not worried."

"Yes you are. We can all see it. Don't hide it from me, Stefan."

"I'm fine."

"Everybody needs a shoulder to cry on sometimes. Admit that you're worried, and then let me hold you as you cry. Because I think I need that too."

He shook his head. "I need to be strong. For Elena. She can't think that I don't think he's going to be okay. It'll scare her."

"Elena will understand if you're scared. He's your family." She told him.

"I just...Need him to be alright. But I know that he won't be."

Caroline knew that she was finally getting through to him as he let out a tear. "Yes he will."

He shook his head, as if he knew she was wrong. "No. Even if he lives, he will never be the same. He lost his mother and then his father abused him and no one even noticed! How does someone just get over that? The people who are supposed to know him better than anyone else couldn't see what was right in front of them!"

Caroline tried to calm him down a little bit by rubbing his arms up and down, but she was happy that she finally got to see _something_ radiating off him, showing that he did indeed care.

She was successful in calming him a little bit. He was less angry, but there were now more tears. "I need him to be okay. He's the strongest person I know. He doesn't deserve this."

Caroline nodded, her eyes now watering.

"Why do all these bad things happen to Damon?" He asked Caroline, his head on her shoulder.

"Maybe God is preparing him for something big and knows that he can handle it...? He's strong, remember?"

Stefan nodded. "Thank you."

He leaned up to kiss her on the lips.

 _I will stand by you_  
 _I will help you through_  
 _When you've done all you can do_  
 _And you can't cope_  
 _I will dry your eyes_  
 _I will fight your fight_  
 _I will hold you tight_  
 _And I won't let go_

"Damon?" Elena said in shock.

Damon's eyes slowly started to open before they were wide in a panic. He tried to pry out the tube in his throat so he could breathe.

"No! Just wait! I'll get the doctor." She told him.

She ran out the door and found her father talking to a nurse.

"Dad!" She yelled.

"Just a second." Grayson told her.

"He's awake!" She told him quickly, ignoring his earlier request.

Grayson stopped his conversation with the nurse and they all three rain towards Damon's room, Grayson paging Dr Fell on the way.

They arrived at his room and saw that Damon was struggling with breathing. He obviously did not like the breathing tube that was meant to help him.

"Damon, I need you to calm down. We're going to get that tube out of your throat right now okay?" Grayson told him.

Damon calmed down and nodded as Dr Fell rushed in and helped Grayson unhook the tube. When they pulled it out, Damon gasped with relief and Elena quickly got him some water for his dry throat.

"Damon, I'm going to need to ask you some question, okay?" Grayson asked him, even though it wasn't an option.

The boy in the bed nodded, not yet saying a word as his throat was still very sore.

"Do you know who this is?" He pointed to Elena.

"'Lena." He answered correctly with a raspy voice. Elena smiled and grasped his hand tightly, eyes watering.

"Good. Who am I?"

"Gray."

"Yes. What's the year?"

"'16."

Grayson nodded. "Do you remember what happened?"

Damon nodded hesitantly.

"Can you tell me?"

"Fell." He answered.

"I think that's enough for now." Elena told her father softly.

Grayson nodded, understanding that he needed time. He and Dr Fell took the next half hour monitoring his stats and asking questions just to make sure that he was alright.

They eventually left the two "friends" alone in the room.

Elena looked at him and grabbed his hand, grateful that he could hold it back.

"I'm so happy that you're okay." She said tearfully. "I was so scared."

"I'm okay," he assured her while squeezing her hand.

 _It hurts my heart_  
 _To see you cry_  
 _I know it's dark_  
 _This part of life_  
 _Oh, it finds us all_  
 _But we're too small_  
 _To stop the rain_  
 _Oh, but when it rains_

Stefan and Caroline came into the room to discover that Damon had woken up. Damon and Elena immediately dropped hands as they stared at the frozen couple. Caroline bolted forward and hugged him tight.

"Ow Care."

"Oops, sorry," she apologized, backing away a little, "I'm just so happy that you're awake!"

They all looked at Stefan who had just started slowly walking towards them.

"Hey man, how do you feel."

"Okay." He said vaguely.

"I'm glad." Stefan told him as he lightly patted his shoulder, not wanting to hurt the poor guy.

The next to come in was Bonnie and Enzo. Bonnie was ecstatic and did the same thing that Caroline did, and Damon responded with a yelp of pain to which she apologized profusely for. Enzo was acting all cool and brushing off his happiness by chitchatting with Damon about how he was feeling.

The next person who came in was Sheriff Forbes.

"Hi Damon."

Damon smiled politely, but not much of a real smile because he knew what was coming.

"Can I have a minute alone with him, everyone?"

Everyone left except Elena. "Liz, I don't think it's the right time..."

"The night is over, Elena." Liz told her softly.

Elena nodded and started to leave when Damon grabbed her arm. "Stay."

She nodded once again and sat down after Liz confirmed that it was alright.

"Tell me everything that happened last night, Damon."

"I remember," he coughed, "Going home to get clothes. We fought. He pushed me."

"Where were you going?"

"To Stefan's."

"Why?"

"I was scared."

"How long has this been going on?"

"Few months."

"Has he ever done anything before that?"

"Not physically," he coughed, "But verbally."

"Tell me about the first time he hit you?"

"No thank you."

Liz nodded, understanding. "What about the injuries you received a few days ago?"

Damon nodded. "'Lena came over. She didn't know. I put her in the closet. To hide her. He came in my room. Pushed me down. And started kicking me. That was the worst of it. Until last night."

Elena shuddered at the memory.

"What do you remember before blacking out last night?"

He sat and thought for a minute. "Dad left. I heard the car. I wanted to call Stefan or 'Lena for help but I couldn't move. They found me almost immediately. They must've known something was wrong."

"That's all you remember?"

He paused. "Yes."

Liz nodded. "Okay, I think we have enough to charge him for attempted murder and even child abuse since you're still under eighteen years of age. You _are_ pressing charges right?"

"He is." Elena answered for him.

"'Lena..." Damon started.

"No Damon! It's gone on long enough! You're pressing charges!" She ordered him.

Damon nodded. "I'm pressing charges."

Liz smiled lightly at the two and left the room.

Elena sighed. "I'm sorry Damon. But you know that it's the truth. You need to or it won't stop. You'll be in more trouble than ever!"

Damon wasn't listening. "You told me you love me." He realized, mumbling.

"What? I always tell you that I love you." She said nervously.

"No," he shook his head. "Not like this. You said you were _in love_ with me. Did you mean it? Or was it because you thought I was going to die." He needed to know, even if the truth hurt.

Elena sighed again. "Of course I meant it Damon. But I wish that you didn't have to hear it when you were going unconscious at the bottom of a set of stairs."

Damon nodded as he started to smile. "You love me." He teased.

"Yeah, so what?"

"'Lena's in love." He laughed, he'd never said those words before.

"Yeah, I am. And I'm proud of it." She told him, not ashamed of how she felt for this boy.

He smiled, stopping the teasing. "I love you too. And I'm proud of it, too."

She smiled.

"Come here." He scooted over on the bed to give her room to crawl in.

"No, I could hurt you."

"What hurts is that you're so far away and I can barely touch you. We finally admitted our feelings and now you're rejecting me?" The last sentence was said in a teasing manner.

"Fine, but if my dad comes in, you're to blame!"

She climbed into the bed to lay in his arms. He used the hand that she wasn't laying on to play with her hair. He squeezed her to him, thankful to hold her. He never wanted the moment to end. He loved this amazing woman so much. Of course, it had to be cut short.

"So I see you're stealing my left overs." They heard a familiar feminine voice and turned to the door to look at who had just entered.

"Katherine?" They both said at the same time, shocked.

"The one and only."

"How'd you know I was here?" Damon asked.

"Jeremy called. Thought I should know that my ex-boyfriend was in the hospital. He didn't tell me that my cousin had taken an interest in him, though."

"Katherine..." Elena started slowly, getting out of the bed.

"Ever hear of girl code Elena?" She asked, her constant snotty tone still in her voice.

"Don't blame her. You left. I love her." Damon said simply.

Katherine turned back to Elena. "You know that he loved me. And you're practically my look alike. That's the only reason he's falling at your feet. Because he couldn't have the original."

Elena now had tears in her eyes, even though she knew it was true.

"Uncle Gray and Aunt Miranda said I could stay at your house for a few weeks. I guess I'll see you home, Thief." Katherine left the room.

"Hey," Damon grabbed her hand, "You know that she's wrong right? I love _you_."

Elena nodded. "I know. I just need some air."

Damon nodded, scared that she was overthinking his old feelings for the bitch that was Elena's cousin.

Elena walked out of the room and took herself down to get a coffee before walking outside for a few minutes.

Of course Damon loved her and not Katherine. He was amazing with her. But Katherine wasn't wrong. They look exactly the same and Damon used to love her, she wasn't sure how, but he did. He was devastated when Katherine left him.

They had had an odd relationship. They met when Katharine was staying the summer before junior year with the family. They immediately hit it off. Much to Elena's dismay, the two started dating. Elena didn't like it at all, but she was happy Damon finally found someone that he could maybe love.

Katherine had always been a bitch, but Damon thought it was a facade that she put up. He thought that she was more than just a pretty face. But she played him. Back home, she had another man waiting for her. She was playing Damon the whole time. Every word she said, when she told him that he was her only, that she was so happy she finally met someone. It was all fake. She just used him until she got back home to the man she had been seeing before she met Damon. She was one of the reasons that Damon had been afraid to love.

 _Don't be afraid to fall_  
 _I'm right here to catch you_  
 _I won't let you down_  
 _It won't get you down_  
 _You're gonna make it_  
 _Yeah, I know you can make it_

"Elena?" She heard Bonnie's voice behind her. Elena turned around and Bonnie saw her tears. Bonnie gasped. "Damon...?" She asked, afraid that something had happened to him.

Elena shook her her head. "Katherine's here. For Damon." She said bitterly.

Bonnie's facial features softened. "I know how I'd feel if Maggie came back for Enzo." Maggie was Enzo's ex who had moved away the year before. "But I also trust Enzo to make the right choice. And I trust in his love for me. He'd choose me over Maggie every time."

Elena nodded. She knew how much Enzo loved Bonnie. She knew that Damon loved her, but they had just started this "thing". She didn't know who he'd choose in a situation like this.

"Damon wouldn't hurt you like she hurt him. I don't even think he'd give her a second chance after that." Bonnie assured Elena.

"I know."

"Do you trust him?"

"Of course I do." Elena said incredulously.

"Then show him." Bonnie told her.

 _Cause I will stand by you_  
 _I will help you through_  
 _When you've done all you can do_  
 _And you can't cope_  
 _And I will dry your eyes_  
 _I will fight your fight_  
 _I will hold you tight_  
 _And I won't let go_

When he was released two days later, Damon had been sent to his aunt and uncles on the condition that he did nothing strenuous. He was supposed to take things easy and wasn't aloud to go to school. Grayson and Meredith told him that he should stay in bed rest for the next week, but when Grayson left the room, Meredith told him that as long as he didn't go out somewhere and sat every time he had a chance, then he could leave his room. He could hang out with his family in the living room on the couch and even go eat at the table, even though Meredith wanted him to stay on a comfortable surface. They told him that he should get help every time he needed to get up and go somewhere (such as the bathroom).

Damon hated relying on people, but he knew that he needed to. He hated hospitals even more.

Elena didn't want to leave him alone that Monday but Damon told her that she had to go since she already skipped school the week before for him and it was only week two of the school year. With much persuasion. Damon told her to go and that he would be fine. She told him to call her if he needed anything and he promised that he would.

Stefan was staying with him since his parents couldn't take off work at the last minute. Stefan was in the kitchen making Damon and himself a sandwich when the doorbell rang.

"I'll get it!" Damon yelled to Stefan.

It took him a minute to get to the door because of his soreness.

When he opened it, what he saw on the other side shocked him.

"Hi Damon."

"MOM?!"

 _Oh I'm gonna hold you_  
 _And I won't let go_  
 _Won't let you go_  
 _No, I won't_

* * *

 **Hope you enjoyed this one! Sorry it was a little boring... I know I left you with a bit of cliffhanger and you all are probably wondering how she's standing in front of him. It will all be explained in the next few chapters but I can't tell you much.**

 **As for Katherine, she will not be in the next chapter much, if at all, but she will be around more after that.**

 **SONG: I Won't Let Go by Rascal Flatts. I chose this song because I feel like this chapter (and the couple before it) were about everyone wanting before there for Damon and not letting go, not wanting to give up.**

 **Next time: Damon tries his best to avoid speaking to his very much alive mother, but she's determined to speak to him**


	9. You Found Me

**I'M BACK! I've been so busy since September but I'm here with another one for you. Thank you for all of the reviews, they make me happy :)**

* * *

 **Chapter 9**

 _Stefan was in the kitchen making Damon and himself a sandwich when the doorbell rang._

 _"I'll get it!" Damon yelled to Stefan._

 _It took him a minute to get to the door because of his soreness._

 _When he opened it, what he saw on the other side shocked him._

 _"Hi Damon."_

 _"MOM?!"_

 _I found God_  
 _On the corner of First and Amistad_  
 _Where the west_  
 _Was all but won_  
 _All alone_  
 _Smoking his last cigarette_  
 _I said, "Where you been?"_  
 _He said, "Ask anything."_

 _Where were you_  
 _When everything was falling apart?_  
 _All my days_  
 _Were spent by the telephone_  
 _That never rang_  
 _And all I needed was a call_  
 _That never came_  
 _To the corner of First and Amistad_

Damon was in shock. He didn't know what to do. He stood in front of the woman who he hadn't seen in six years. His eyes were wide as he took her in. He thought he was dreaming, and he wanted someone to wake him before he had a freaking panic attack.

"Well? Are you going to invite me in?" She asked him softly.

"No. You're dead. You aren't here right now. It's the pain killers." He said more to himself than her.

"It's really me." She smiled at him.

"How?" He breathed out quietly.

The woman sighed. "We need to talk about things. May I come in?"

Damon hesitated before letting her in.

She looked around as she came in. "Wow... Your aunt and uncle sure have a beautiful home. Where's Stefan? School?"

"Umm..." He started, struggling with his words, the shock not quite wearing off yet.

Stefan came into the living room. Not yet noticing the woman. "Is tuna okay? I know that you hate peanut butter and jelly. This was all we had." He then looked up and saw her. "Aunt Lily?!"

Lily nodded. "Yes, Stefan. It's me."

"We thought you were dead."

"I know, it's complicated." Lily then looked at her son. Her eyes were tearing up. "Oh god, he promised that he wouldn't hurt you."

Now Damon was more shocked than before. "He knew?! He's known that you were alive this whole time and he never told me?"

"We agreed that he shouldn't." Lily confirmed.

Damon shook his head. "I can't believe this. You lied to me! Who else knows?!" He yelled.

"Damon, calm down." Stefan ordered, he was worried, he was breathing heavily.

"NO! I believed you were dead! I grieved you! I'm afraid to _love_ because of you!" Damon yelled at his mother. "WHO. ELSE. KNOWS."

His breathing was suddenly labored and he let his body fall to the ground.

"DAMON!" Lily and Stefan yelled.

 _Lost and insecure_  
 _You found me, you found me_  
 _Lyin' on the floor_  
 _Surrounded, surrounded_  
 _Why'd you have to wait?_  
 _Where were you? Where were you?_  
 _Just a little late_  
 _You found me, you found me_

"He's fine." Meredith told them when she went into the waiting room. "He had a slight panic attack, it didn't have much to do with his injuries. His ribs did make him have a little more trouble breathing since he's already been have problems because of his ribs. I think this was stress related because of everything that has happened in his life lately."

"So he's okay? He can go home?" Lily asked Dr Fell.

Dr Fell didn't want to talk to the woman, she was angry at her for abandoning her child, but she knew that she'd have to answer her.

"Wherever home _is_ right now, yes." Meredith confirmed.

Grayson walked into the waiting room and saw Stefan, not noticing that Lily was with him, he went over to him.

"What's going on? Is it Damon?!" He rushed out.

Stefan nodded.

"Wait... Lily? No, you're dead!" Grayson was in shock.

"It's a long story."

He thought he'd ignore it for now, since Damon was like a son and his health was more important than the woman in the waiting room. "Okay, well why is Damon here?"

"He had a panic attack when he answered the door and saw Lily. I thought something was wrong with him." Stefan responded.

"Why was he answering the door? He's on bed rest." Grayson asked suspiciously.

"I told them he could go into the living room if he was careful. But I'm taking that away right now. Bed rest for a week." Meredith answered.

"Elena's going to kill him." Grayson laughed before going back to work.

 _In the end_  
 _Everyone ends up alone_  
 _Losing her_  
 _The only one who's ever known_  
 _Who I am_  
 _Who I'm not, who I wanna be_  
 _No way to know_  
 _How long she will be next to me_

Stefan and Damon were in the car on the way home. They dropped Lily off at her hotel, Damon claiming that he needed some time before seeing her.

Stefan's phone rang, without looking at caller ID, he answered.

"Hello?"

 _"Stefan?" Came the hurried sound of Elena's voice. "Where are you? You aren't home! Is Damon okay? He should be in bed."_

Stefan and Damon looked at each other.

"We're on our way home." Stefan responded.

 _"From where?" Elena was confused. Why would they be going anywhere?_

"...the hospital..." Stefan hesitated.

 _"WHAT? WHY?" Elena screamed into the phone._

"Relax, he's fine. He had a minor...attack. But Fell said he's fine."

 _"Why wouldn't you call me?" She sounded like a mother._

"We didn't want you to worry..."

 _"Well look how that turned out." Elena snapped._

Damon laughed at her sassiness and the fear on Stefan's face. Elena was scary. Damon winced.

"Laughing is now off limits, I guess." Damon murmured.

 _"Is that him? Give him the phone!" She demanded._

Stefan handed it over.

"I'm fine, babe." He told her.

 _"I just... Need to hear you. Just being told isn't enough. Tell me what happened?" She asked softly._

"In person, I promise."

 _"Okay."_

 _Lost and insecure_  
 _You found me, you found me_  
 _Lyin' on the floor_  
 _Surrounded, surrounded_  
 _Why'd you have to wait?_  
 _Where were you? Where were you?_  
 _Just a little late_  
 _You found me, you found me_

As soon as Stefan's car pulled up to his house, Elena came running out the door and towards the car.

She swung the passenger door open and flung her arms around him.

"Are you okay?" She asked.

Damon nodded.

"What are you stupid or something? You had me scared to death!" Elena scolded.

"I'm sorry." He said quietly.

Elena helped him to the couch. "What happened?"

Damon sighed. "My mom is alive."

"WHAT?!"

"She showed up at the door and I had a panic attack."

"I thought she was dead."

"So did I."

Elena didn't know what to say. That woman was someone she used to consider her second mother. She was always there like a mother would be for their child, and then one day she was gone. Dead. It was a shock to Elena to find out that what she had believed for the past 6 years had been a lie. She couldn't imagine what Damon was feeling. Confused? Betrayed? Heartbroken?

"What are you going to do?"

He shrugged. He looked so vulnerable. "I don't know."

Then Sarah and Zack came into the house.

Damon looked at his uncle with disgust.

"You knew didn't you?"

Uncle Zack looked genuinely confused. "About what?"

"My mother. She's alive. You knew." It wasn't a question but a statement.

"Damon..."

"No. NO! How could you not tell me?!"

"I'm not saying anything until you're calmer."

Damon nodded, calming down, even though his thoughts were going a thousand miles an hour.

Uncle Zack sat down. "Some things you should hear from your mother, but we did what we did so that you wouldn't hate her. We knew how you'd feel if you knew the truth."

"What _is_ the truth? Why'd she leave me?"

"I can't tell you. It's not my place. Your mother did what she did because she loves you."

"You ruined my life." He got up and stormed into his room, slamming the door.

Elena looked at Zack and then turned around to follow Damon.

She didn't knock, she just walked in. He was laying on his bed with his arms crossed over his chest.

"Hey. I know that they hurt you by lying, but why don't you hear them out? Hear Lily out?"

"No. My mother's been dead for six years. I don't care what my birth certificate says. She gave away her rights when she left me."

Elena nodded, understanding. "You might regret it. She still loves you."

"A mother who loves her son doesn't leave him without a goodbye or so much as an explanation."

"Maybe she had a reason...?" Elena questioned. Not wanting to press any further so he'd get upset, she stopped and lay beside him as they drifted off to sleep.

 _Early morning_  
 _The city breaks_  
 _I've been callin'_  
 _For years and years and years and years_  
 _And you never left me no messages_  
 _You never send me no letters_  
 _You got some kind of nerve_  
 _Taking all I want_

Elena decided to stay with Damon the next day, much to Damon's disdain. He didn't want her to miss anything for him. He didn't think that he was worth it, but she did.

Elena made him stay in bed all day. The only time she let him up was when he had to go to the bathroom. She made him Mac and cheese, which to him tasted disgusting.

"It's not that bad!" She defended.

"Elena, all I can taste is butter! How much did you put in?!"

"The stick."

"The entire stick of butter?" He laughed.

"Isn't that what you're supposed to do?"

"Oh baby, no it's not." Damon laughed at the cute innocent look on his face and then pecked her nose before kissing her sweet lips.

"I love you." Elena whispered when he pulled away.

"I love you too." He smiled.

"I don't know what I would've done if..." She trailed off, looking down.

He lifted her chin so that she was looking at him. "Hey, I'm fine. I'll be fine."

"You'll never be fine, Damon." She told him softly and sympathetically.

He nodded. "You're right. But right now, I just want to pretend that I will be."

Elena nodded, understanding.

As she was leaning in for another kiss, the doorbell rang. She pulled away, annoyed. "Saved by the bell. Be right back."

She went to the door and opened it without checking to see who it was first.

"Elena!"

"Lily?"

"Wow! You grew up. You've gotten so beautiful." Lily seemed genuine.

Elena hesitated. "Thank you."

She hadn't seen this woman in years. She felt like she was looking at a ghost, which I guess it kind of was. Lily was supposed to be dead.

"Is Damon here?"

Elena didn't answer for a moment. "Yeah. He's sleeping though."

"Elena! Who's at the door?" Damon yelled from the other room.

She cursed under her breath. _Perfect timing Damon_ , she thought to herself.

"Wow. He still talks in his sleep, and loudly." Lily joked.

Elena sighed. "Listen, he's not ready to see you. He's had a rough few years and you coming back was a shock."

"I just want to see him. He's my son, Elena."

"Not anymore. You left him with a psychopath. A psychopath who almost murdered him. And if he had succeeded you would've been the first person I would've blamed."

"Elena." Lily was breathless.

"I love him. He's the most important person in my life! And I almost lost him to a man who he calls dad. A man you voluntarily left him with. I blame you."

Lily had tears running down her cheeks.

Elena was pissed. Why was she crying? She didn't deserve to cry. She did this. She left Damon. _On purpose._

"Elena?" Damon asked quietly, coming out of his room. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, go back to bed."

He got near the door and saw his mom.

"What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to talk."

"Well I don't. We haven't talked in six years. You can give me time."

Lily nodded, knowing she made a mistake. "I want to take you to eat some time this week. Explain some things?"

"I'll get back to you on that." He started closing the door.

"Wait! You don't have my number."

"If it's meant to be, I'll guess it." He slammed the door in her face.

 _Lost and insecure_  
 _You found me, you found me_  
 _Lyin' on the floor_  
 _Where were you? Where were you?_  
 _Lost and insecure_  
 _You found me, you found me_  
 _Lyin' on the floor_  
 _Surrounded, surrounded_  
 _Why'd you have to wait?_  
 _Where were you? Where were you?_  
 _Just a little late_  
 _You found me, you found me_  
 _Why'd you have to wait?_  
 _To_ _find_ _me, to find me_

* * *

 **For those of you wondering why Damon seems perfectly fine when normal people would be going mental after all of the crap that has happened, he is not fine. Future chapters will show just how not fine he is. There is a lot going on in his head right now and he still has to figure out where he stands with his family.**

 **SONG: You Found Me by The Fray (my absolute favorite band!) The song is in Damon's point of view toward his mother, wondering why she took so long to come after him. Why now?**

 **All will be revealed eventually.**

 **QUESTIONS TO BE ANSWERED!**

 _ **What is up with Katherine? What does she want?**_

 _ **Why did Lily fake her death? Why did she come back now?**_

 _ **What is going on in Damon's mind? Elena said that he would never be okay after this, is she right?**_

 **REVIEW! ASK QUESTIONS! COME AGAIN!**


	10. Chasing Cars

**Hi guys! I apologize for the late update. Not long after I posted chapter 9 (within a week) an old friend of mine who I was close with passed away. I kind of lost myself a little bit for a few months but I slowly brought myself back. I'm still trying to get over it but I'm in a lot better of a place than I was in four months ago. Fanfiction wasn't my top priority and I didn't have any inspiration. I'm still trying to get back to normal so I'm hoping you all forgive me, it's been a really rough time and I'm living with a lot of regrets.**

* * *

 **Chapter 10**

 _We'll do it all_

 _Everything_

 _On our own_

 _We don't need_

 _Anything_

 _Or anyone_

 _If I lay here_

 _If I just lay here_

 _Would you lie with me and just forget the world?_

 _I don't quite know_

 _How to say_

 _How I feel_

 _Those three words_

 _Are said to much_

 _They're not enough_

It had been exactly a week and two days since Damon had slammed the door in his mothers face.

He was still being held captive in his aunt and uncle's home but was allowed to roam around the house a little more freely. Grayson told him that he had to take it easy but he was okay to move around a little more. Grayson wasn't comfortable with Damon returning to school quite yet but told him he'd check him over again in another few days by just coming to the house, which Damon was happy about. He was sick of hospitals. Three hospital visits in only a couple of weeks have an affect on you.

He was allowed to leave the house for little slivers of time according to the doctor, but his family (and Elena) all forbid him. He loves them, but he's very annoyed by the babying. They stopped getting him a babysitter, thank god, but someone always called to check on him every hour, always waking him from naps. They'd usually call the house to make sure that he was actually there.

It was almost 2:30 and he was on his bed reading _Ethan Frome_ for school, waiting for Elena to get there. It had been routine for her to come over right after school. He hated the book. It had a beautiful love story, but he knew that it was going to end tragically, and that just made him think about his own life. Did they really have a chance against the cruel world?

Suddenly, the door swung open and in bounded a happy and jumpy Elena Gilbert.

She immediately jumped on his bed.

"Hey baby!" She said before kissing him long and hard.

"Hey back." He smiled. "What's got you all happy?"

She pretended to think. "Well, I've been away from you all day and now I'm here, kissing my wonderful boyfriend."

He smiled. That was the first time she called him that. "Boyfriend?"

She paused, her face dropping. "Unless you don't want to be...? I know we haven't really been putting a label on what ever this is but that's what I thought we were."

"Of course I want that. It was just nice to here you say that... Girlfriend." He added at the end, kissing her nose.

She laughed before getting serious. "So, has your mom come by yet?"

He tensed up at that word. Mom. "No, which is a good thing."

"She knows you need a little space. You just found out that she's alive."

He nods.

"What are you going to do about her?"

"I've lived this long without her. I don't need her in my life."

Elena nods in understanding. "I know you think that, and yes, you'll survive without her but everyone needs a mom. I bet if someone asked you a month ago if you found out she was alive, you would say that you were happy. You would at least go have dinner with her."

"Stop pushing Elena." He untangled himself from her arms and left the room.

Elena sighed before getting up to follow him. "Damon!" She called.

"No. I'm done talking about this." He said as they entered the kitchen to get an apple. "Apple?" He offered to Elena but she said "no".

"You need to at some point!" She exclaimed getting back to the original topic.

"Where's Stefan?" He asked out of the blue.

"Caroline. Now stop changing the topic!"

"Not now!" He went to the couch.

"This isn't healthy!"

"You know what isn't healthy? Believing someone is dead, finding out they aren't, and then having everyone act like it's a normal thing and getting mad at me about it! That's not healthy!"

Elena calmed down. "I'm not mad at you. I'm not even disappointed in you. I just don't want you to regret this. Who knows how long she's staying."

He finally understood why she was pushing this so much and calmed down. "I'll talk to her. Just not right now. I know that she won't leave until I talk to her, so I have time."

Elena nodded, leaning her forehead against his shoulder.

They heard a knock at the door and Elena stood up to get it.

Liz Forbes was on the other side. "Hi, may I come in?"

"Of course, Liz."

They hadn't seen her in about a week.

"How are you Damon?" She asked, sitting down on the chair beside the couch Damon was on and Elena was returning to.

"I've been better."

She nodded. "I'm here about your father."

Damon tensed. "What about him?"

"First of all, I gave you some time to recuperate so I'm hoping you'll tell me more about what happened?"

"Whatever you need to convict my dad."

The fact that he still called him dad twisted Elena's stomach, even though she knew that it's a habit you can't shake.

"Also, we want to wait to have the court date until after all of the doctors visits are over. Every time you're there is more evidence against him. We also need to get you a lawyer. When would be a good time to meet with him or her?"

"Well, I'm not allowed to go to school right now so whenever."

"Great, and sex matter?"

"No."

"Okay, and can I ask you a few questions? You can wait until you have your lawyer or say pass to questions you don't want to answer."

"Ask away."

Liz looked down her notebook and got her pen ready. She had written all her questions down.

"Exactly when did his beating start?"

"June 16. This year."

"Do you know how many times he's beaten you?"

"I lost count." That hurt Elena.

"Had he ever hurt you before?"

"Minor things that all parents do."

Elena highly doubted that.

"Did he ever sexually assault you?"

Damon hesitated and Elena's head shot up. "No."

"Okay. I think you've had enough. I'll leave the rest for your lawyer."

"Can I ask you a question Liz?"

"Of course, Damon, anything."

"Did you know my mother was alive?"

Liz tensed. She knew that he knew she was alive. She had seen her in town and even had some small talk with her. "Yes, Damon. I did."

His jaw tightened. He had expected her to say no since this was a woman who he had trusted. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Your mother was always a friend of mine and I listened to her wishes. She didn't want you to know."

"Why the hell not?!" He screamed and stood up. He couldn't understand.

"Talk to her." And with that, Liz excused herself from the home.

Elena stood as well and put her hand on his arm. "Damon..."

"Maybe you should go too." He said softly.

Her eyes widened. "What? Why?"

"I need to be alone."

Elena nodded and left, feeling upset that he was building up wells right after she had finally torn them down.

Once he was sure she was gone, Damon left the house, knowing exactly where he was going.

She was sitting at home reading _Ethan Frome_ for English, so far her favorite book.

She couldn't concentrate though. She just kept thinking of Damon and how she doesn't know how to help him. She's really worried about him and his mental health.

Her phone rang, she quickly grabbed it hoping it was Damon but the caller ID said a different Salvatore.

"Hey, Stef. What's up?"

"Hey, do you mind bringing Damon home? My parents are worried something is going to happen to him. You know how they are." He laughed.

Elena didn't. "What are you talking about?"

"He's not with you?" There was an obvious change in Stefan's voice.

"No. He kicked me out."

"What? Where could he be?"

When the boy walked into the County Jail, he walked right to the counter with a request.

"Hello. What can I do for you?" Asked an officer.

"I'd like to speak to Giuseppe Salvatore. I'm his son."

"Name please?" The officer, of course, knew the name of the seventeen year old but was required to ask. Mystic Falls was a very small town and he knew of the history of the Salvatore's.

"Damon Salvatore."

"Give me a moment to go get him, you can follow Deputy Smith into the room."

"Thank you."

Damon followed the man into the room where you could visit with the prisoners and talk to them through the glass using a telephone. It was just him, no one else was visiting that day, which he supposed was good for him. He sat for about five minutes when his father walked in. He stopped in shock at seeing his son before he went to sit down and pick up the phone.

"What are you doing here?" The man growled.

"I just wanted to see you."

"You don't have a right. You put me in here!"

"You tried to kill me!"

"Don't be a baby." Giuseppe scoffed.

Damon sighed. He regretted this already. "I didn't want to fight. I just had some questions. About mom..."

Giuseppe's eyes widened in shock. They hadn't talked about his wife in years. "What about her?"

"She came to see me." He said softly.

"How hard you hit your head, boy?" "Dad, I know that she's alive."

Once again, the older man's eyes widened, but this time in anger. "She said she'd stay away! She wasn't supposed to come back!"

"Please, Dad, just tell me why she left."

"You'll hate her." As much of a cruel man that Giuseppe Salvatore was, no one could ever deny how much he loved his wife. He would never wish her harm or for her only son to hate him.

"I just want to understand!" Damon exclaimed, exasperated.

"It wasn't just her fault. We all did things that made her leave."

"What do you mean? You forced her?"

"No! Never! I loved my wife. I still do. Damon, you have to understand, there's so much that happened that you don't know."

"That's why I need you to tell me!"

"I'm going to. But promise me you won't blame her first."

Damon was at a crossroads. If she chose to leave, of course he blames her. But he also needed to know what happened... so he nodded. He was unprepared for the response he got from the man sitting across from him.

"I'm not your father."

 _Let's waist time_

 _Chasing cars_

 _Around our heads_

 _If I lay here_

 _If I just lay here_

 _Would you lay with me and just forget the world?_

 _Forget what we're told_

 _Before we get too old_

 _Show me a garden that's bursting into life_

 _All that I am_

 _All that I ever was_

 _Is here in your perfect eyes, they're all I can see_

 _I don't know where_

 _Confused about how as well_

 _Just know that these things will never change for us at all_

 _If I lay here_

 _If I just lay here_

 _Would you lay with me and just forget the world?_

* * *

 **Yup! Giuseppe is NOT Damon's father, but who is? You'll just have to wait and find out! When I planned out this story, I knew that I was going to have Lily live, that's why Damon never sees her or anything. He never gets proof, he only gets told. I had a bunch of scenarios in my head of why she left, I thought I had it all planned out, but when I was writing this chapter, I suddenly changed my mind. I had dabbled with the thought of him not being Giuseppe's but I scrapped it. But here it is, and no, I'm not tricking you. Question? Did Lily have an affair with a stranger? Are you going to meet his dad? Who do you think it is? Have you already met him? Maybe you won't meet him for a few chapters...**

 **Have you ever read _Ethan Frome_? I had to read it in my senior year of high school. I thought it was a beautiful love story, but I didn't care for the way it was written. It's about a lonely man who falls in love with his wife's cousin when she comes to help them after his wife gets sick. I thought (strangely) it kind of related to Damon's life. The book deals with isolation, loneliness, and depression with all three characters and it does a great job of expressing the feelings in Ethan.**

 **SONG: Chasing Cars by Snow Patrol. All Damon wants to do is lay with Elena and just forget everything. He's confused about all the things in life and needs to forget for a while.**

 **NEXT TIME:**

 **"I adopted you." -G  
"You hated me. I didn't really care." -G  
"Who's my father?" -D**

 **"Can I stay here?" -D  
"My bed." -E**


	11. Your Biggest Mistake

**Hey guys! Sorry for the long wait, my computer hasn't been working well for me but here you go! Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Chapter 11**

Damon sat in the porch swing of Elena's childhood home. He hadn't brought himself to knock yet. He felt bad for making her leave and pushing her away, now he just wanted to see her to apologize and talk to her about what happened today. She always had the best advice, and she could always manage to calm him down.

He could hear her open the door, her keys smacked together as she obviously seemed rushed.

"No Stefan, I'm leaving now! Because I've been waiting for you to call me back and tell me you found him for an hour! I'm not waiting anymore. I'll call you when I-" As she closed the door she saw Damon on her porch swing. "Uh, never mind. I found him. Talk to you later, okay?" She spoke softly before hanging up. "Hey."

"Hey." He responded back in the same soft voice.

"What are you doing here?"

"I just wanted to apologize. I shouldn't push you away, because honestly, I think I need you right now more than I've ever needed anyone. You're my best friend, it's just been really hard and I'm ashamed of everything he did to me. I don't want you to look at me with pity or as if I'm fragile. I just want you to look at me how you've always looked at me."

She was glad that he was finally opening up to her but she felt like more was going on. She went to sit beside him. "Where were you Damon? What happened?"

Damon sighed. "I went to see my dad."

"What?! Are you crazy? What did he say to you?"

"I needed answers. I thought that, besides my mom, he was the only one who could answer my questions."

"What did he tell you?"

"He's not my dad."

 _"What?" Damon gasped. No! He's lived with that man his whole life! He knows who his father is._

 _"Your mother slept with another man shortly after we got married. I'm sorry that I had to tell you but you're almost 18 now." He was sorry? Giuseppe Salvatore was never sorry. This man only ever showed him compassion if it had to do with his mother._

 _"My birth certificate?" Damon questioned_.

 _"I did adopted you. I'm legally your father. Your biological father signed his rights away. We made a fake one."_

 _"Why didn't you tell me?"_

 _"You hated me. I didn't really care, but I didn't want you to hate her too."_

 _"Who's my father?"_

 _"That's a story for another day, son."_

 _He didn't care if his son knew, but Damon knew he wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of knowing the truth._

Elena was shocked after hearing what her boyfriend just told her. He'd been living with an abusive man who wasn't even his father? God had he had a long few months.

"Damon..."

"Don't say anything. I know that you feel bad for me, but just for tonight I'd like to pretend that you still see me as the old Damon, if that's okay?"

"Is that why you didn't tell me about your dad? You were afraid I'd pity you?" She asked, finally realizing the truth about the walls he put up.

"And to protect you."

Elena's eyes were watering. "Okay. I'll let it go tonight, but I should probably take you home."

"Not tonight. They've probably known for eighteen years that they aren't my family. Can I stay here?"

"Elena nodded. "Of course. But you're not sleeping in the basement."

"The couch is fine."

"No. My bed."

"I haven't slept in your bed in a while..."

"I know."

He follows her inside and up to her room. He closes the door behind him.

"So... what do-"

Just then her lips are on his, her tongue begging for entrance. They walk toward her bed and he lays her down, settling himself on top of her. His hands start going underneath her top.

"Wait." She gasps.

He stops. "What is it?"

"Are you sure you're okay to do this?"

Damon nodded slowly, he wanted this with her more than anything.

"You're still recovering. What if I hurt you?" She asked concerned.

He looked into her eyes and smiled at the worry she felt for him. He shrugged. "We'll go slowly." He leaned back in for a kiss and continued where they left off.

"Elena can I borrow your-" Katherine barged in, interrupting them. Damon quickly rolled off of Elena as Katherine quietly laughed to herself, amused. "So, you really are stealing my leftovers. Just letting you know Damon, she may look like me, but she will never compare. We all know how you like your women." She smiled.

"I'm over you Katherine."

"So you think. They always come back for more."

"I have a feeling that's you."

Katherine glared at him. "You won't last long. Enjoy him while you can Elena. Underneath those clothes, mmm, better than you can imagine."

It suddenly got very awkward between the two on the bed.

"You're welcome to leave now." Damon snarled.

She glared back at him. "Fine. I'll see you in the morning." She started heading out before stopping, "Oh! And Damon? If you get bored, I get lonely in my big bed. You're welcome to join me." She winked at him as she left the room and Damon just rolled his eyes.

"Tonight's not the night is it?" Damon asked Elena, disappointed.

"Nope." She answered quickly.

* * *

The next morning they were sitting on the couch watching the morning news. Damon hated it and found it depressing but Elena said that it's important to know what is going on in the world. She had her legs crossed, eating a bowl of Frosted Flakes. Damon, beside her, was just eating a chocolate chip muffin that Miranda made. She always had some ready in case anyone was hungry. Or rather, if Damon just "happened to show up" in the morning before school without having any breakfast.

Damon, who couldn't be bothered with the news, just looked at Elena. God she was beautiful. Today especially. He loved seeing her in the morning with a fresh face. No makeup, hair wavy and undone. He loved when she was just in sweatpants and a t-shirt not caring what anyone else thought.

Katherine walked in to the room as Damon was staring and smirked.

"Looks just like me doesn't she?" Katherine blurted out. It startled both of them.

"You wish Katherine." Damon snarled and it made Elena smile a little. Her and Katherine were like twins, but it was always nice to hear that Damon saw no similarities between them.

"All I have to say, is that I was first. I was the beginning."

"And Elena will be the end." Damon shot back.

Just as she was about to spurt some mean thing about Elena they all heard the news and shot their heads back towards the television.

"We all remember a young 17 year old Damon Salvatore of Mystic Falls was discovered in his home after being beaten by his father for years. New evidence has unfolded on the investigation. Now, as the police are still investigating, they say they have reasons to believe that the boy may have been molested by his fath-"

Elena turned it off before the news reporter could finish her sentence. For once Katherine was silence, which actually bugged Elena. She prayed for Katherine to say something right now to get his mind off of it but even she couldn't be that cruel.

Elena looked to Damon who was still staring at the black screen.

"D? You okay?"

"He didn't molest me." He tensed.

"I believe you." She said softly, yet she didn't believe herself.

"WHY DOESN'T ANYONE ELSE? I TOLD THEM ALL I COULD!" He screamed, standing up and yelling at Elena.

"Damon." Katherine said.

"THEY HAVE NO RIGHT! THIS IS MY LIFE!"

"Damon stop!" Katherine yelled.

"Did you tell them something? DID YOU TELL THEM ABOUT ANYTHING?!"

"DAMON STOP YELLING AT HER!" Katherine screamed surprising them both. "I know you aren't angry at her, but directing your feelings on her isn't going to help the situation."

Katherine was reasonable? Since when?

There was a knock at the door and Katherine excused herself to go and get it.

Damon plopped on the couch. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have yelled at you."

Elena slowly sat down next to him, her head on his shoulder and hand on his knee. "I know. You're just a little upset right now. A lot is going through your head."

"Yeah but that's no reason to get angry at you. You're about all I have right now." He kissed her on the head and she smiled.

Before she could respond with a list of people there for him, Katherine came back.

"It's Liz- Uh Sheriff Forbes." They were so used to calling her Liz off duty.

"What does she want?" Elena sat up.

She pointed to the boy. "Damon. She wants you to meet someone."

Damon looked confused when Liz walked in with a tall brunette man with blue eyes.

"What're you doing here?"

"Damon, you know Mason Lockwood." Mason Lockwood was a well known lawyer in their town, also the younger brother of the mayor and uncle of his friend Tyler. He liked Tyler, but didn't necessarily care for Mason. "He is willing to be your lawyer if you take him. He's won so many child welfare cases. He thinks yours will be a piece of cake."

"Well it's about to get a hell of a lot more complicated."

"What?" Liz asked.

"Giuseppe isn't my father. Maybe you knew that, I don't know. Find him, win your case."

"It's your case..."

"I don't win. No matter what happens, I don't get to win. I'm close to 18 anyway, it wouldn't matter."

"Him not being your father will actually be good in your favor if he knew."

"Because I'm stuck with a deadbeat mom now? Not really in my favor."

"Mason is going to help you. He's got years behind his back for things not even remotely has rough as you've had it. We just want him guilty and behind bars before you're 18, so they'll be harsher in court."

"I don't care anymore. Just make sure he doesn't hurt anyone and I'll get a restraining order."

Elena eyebrows furrowed. "Don't you want him out away so he won't hurt anyone?"

"He wouldn't hurt somebody he didn't know and didn't raise. Not that he really raised me anyway." He murmured that last sentence.

Mason finally spoke up. "Listen kid, Mr. Salvatore needs to be put away. We can't risk anything. Especially for molesting underage childr-"

"HEY!" Damon stood up. "I NEVER said yes to that question. Liz?!" She was the only cop he talked to.

"You hesitated, Damon." She sighed.

"FUCK THAT. I said NO. Now the whole town thinks I'm a pussy who got raped by his own father."

"There's nothing to be ashamed about! He's a bad man. And all I did was put that you hesitated in my notes. Somebody must've seen it."

"We're done for today. You've got my own lawyer not believing me!" Damon stood up.

Mason stood up to talk to Damon. "Now Damon, as your lawyer, I believe everything you tell me and I will fight for what you say. All I'm saying is the evidence-"

"IS BULLSHIT!" Damon screamed.

Elena suddenly heard her mom running from downstairs and into their living room.

"What the hell is going on in here? Liz? What's Mason Lockwood doing here?"

Liz sighed after looking at Damon. "He's hopefully Damon's lawyer, if he agrees."

Mason stuck out his hand to shake. "Damon and I were just discussing his case but I'd say we're done for today."

"So would I." Damon said.

Liz and Mason excused themselves and Damon was still obviously pissed off.

"Damon..." Elena started.

"I'm going to the Grill." He said quickly as he walked out.

Elena looked at her mother. "Mom?"

Miranda nodded, knowing that Damon needed her in that moment. "Go ahead. Make sure he's alright."

Elena nodded. "I will." She smiled slightly before running out the door.

* * *

Damon, of course, didn't put up any kind of fight about Elena joining him. His storming out was actually an invite. Whenever he stormed out and Elena was in the room, it was an unspoken rule between them that she was supposed to follow, and vice versa. There was the occasional anger about not wanting to be followed but all would be quickly forgiven once they were hanging out and forgot why they were broody in the first place.

Damon and Elena sat across from each other in a booth at the Grill, sipping at their Cokes.

"How did my life get so messed up so quickly?" Damon asked, breaking the silence.

"Because you weren't given the gift of awesome parents, unfortunately."

"Where do you think my dad is? Do you think he knows?"

Elena wasn't expecting that. She shrugged. "I don't know. I think he has some huge job, and makes loads of money. He probably knows about you and decided not to be your dad because you'd be happier with less, in a smaller town with your mom. He didn't know her plans to leave. I bet he knows Giuseppe and had a long talk with him about trusting him to take care of his son, and now he'll be coming back soon to reek havoc since neither of your parents stayed around nor took care of you."

Damon smiled at her ability to come up with stories. "You really think he'll come back?"

Elena nodded. "Yeah, I do. Maybe soon. Maybe next year. But he'll be back, because you're too important to leave behind."

Damon smiled at her and leaned forward to give her a soft kiss. "Thank you." He whispered.

The bell of the Grill disturbed them, signaling that someone had just walked in. They didn't bother looking up.

"Damon!" They heard an all too familiar face.

"Oh not today." Damon muttered before looking up. "Mother." He greeted bitterly.

Lily was walking with a man. He was taller with dirty blonde hair and bright blue eyes. He was well built with a hint of stubble on his face.

"Who's this?" Damon asked, eyeing the man.

Lily looked over to the man before looking back at her son. "This is my friend, Julian. He's been letting me stay with him in New York."

"Why's he here?"

Lily sighed but Julian nodded for her to go on. "He's a psychologist. I want you two to talk."

 _You know this is your biggest mistake  
What a waste, what a waste, what a waste  
And of all the things you never explained  
Well you know this is your biggest mistake_

* * *

 _ **So yes, Lily is making him talk to a psychologist and Liz is making him get a lawyer (even though he was going to anyway). Right now, Damon doesn't like Mason. You will understand Damon's outburst in later chapters. You still have quite a few chapters before you find out more about Damon's father. Next chapter you get to see how not fine Damon is.**_

 _ **SONG: Your Biggest Mistake by Ellie Goulding. This is Damon's message to his mother and father saying that the things they never explained to him was a waste. I ran out of time for a song and I thought this one fit but not all the words so I just put t at the end.**_


	12. Love You Forever

**Chapter 12**

"Who's this?" Damon asked, eyeing the man.

Lily looked over to the man before looking back at her son. "This is my friend, Julian. He's been letting me stay with him in New York."

"Why's he here?"

Lily sighed but Julian nodded for her to go on. "He's a psychologist. I want you two to talk."

"What? Why?" Damon asked.

"Sweetheart, you've had a long past few years and I think it would be good for you to talk to someone."

Now Damon was angry. "I have Elena. And Stefan. That's all I need."

"Baby..."

"DON'T CALL ME THAT!" He yelled, scaring Elena and his mother. "I'm NOT your baby! NEVER again!"

Lily was in shock at the way her son was talking to her. "I'm your mother."

"Are you? How do I know you're not lying? You lied about my father."

Lily eyes widened in shock.

"Yeah, I know. I just don't know why you did it or who my actual father is."

"Damon, can we talk about this in private? Please?"

"No. We're doing it now!" He yelled, not even noticing (or caring) that everyone in the Grill was staring at them. "Who's my father?!"

"I can't tell you. I'm so sorry." Lily cried, exasperated.

Damon looked down and sighed. "Sorry doesn't make up for anything. My entire life I've been lied to." He said quietly. "I don't care what you have to say, we're done here."

He got up and left the Grill.

Elena sat and watched Damon leave before looking at Lily, who had streaks of tears down her eyes.

"I didn't mean-"

"Just stop trying to explain yourself. It doesn't matter what you say to me, but what you say and do to your son does. Every little thing you've done has created the life that he has. You left him with a monster that could've killed him!" She yelled at the woman in front of her, something she would've never imagined herself doing.

"But he didn't! He wouldn't!"

"He almost did! Damon could've died falling down those stairs and Giuseppe didn't even care! It wasn't an accident! I don't know who Damon's father is, but I'm damn sure he's better than the one you chose for him. I don't pity you, not for a second." And with that, Elena put money on the table and stormed out, chasing, once again, after the boy whose life was falling apart.

* * *

Elena found him under the big oak tree in the park. She knew he wouldn't go back to Stefan's, or his own house, so this was the only other place she could think of that he would be.

"Hey," she said softly as she sat beside him, head on his shoulder, "How you doing?" She knew it was a dumb question, but also that he needed to know someone cared.

"I've been better." He murmured.

"Well maybe this'll make you feel better... I bitched out Lily today."

She felt him chuckle under her. "You what?!"

"I told her I don't pity her and she made the wrong choices that have affected you, but I kind of yelled..."

"What a bitch, Ms. Gilbert." He joked.

She slapped his chest lightly. "Shut up."

Suddenly his laughing stopped. "You know, everything made so much more sense when I thought she was dead. It was so much easier."

Elena took her head off his shoulder. "Damon?"

He looked at her. "Yeah?"

Then she asked the question that's been on her mind for quite a while. "When did you know you were in love with me?"

Damon looked down and smiled a tiny smile before looking back in her eyes. "I guess I always have but... if I could pick the moment it finally clicked... Do you remember that snow day that we went to the grocery store?" She nodded. It was when they were 15, their sophomore year. "You wanted ice cream. I thought it was crazy because it was below zero out," he laughed. "You couldn't pick a flavor and I teased you on how you can't make decisions. I said we should buy them all and you laughed at me. I knew that I wanted to listen to it my entire life. You said I was 'silly' and hugged me with one arm, and kissed my cheek. It was a normal thing but this time it felt different. I could feel how cold your nose was against my cheek. I find it funny actually. You were in sweatpants, your hair in the messiest bun I had ever seen, I remember teasing you about it actually. But you were still so beautiful. It was that moment that I knew I loved more than anything, anyone. You were my once in a lifetime. And all we were doing was looking for ice cream."

Elena had tears in her eyes as she threw herself on him and kissed him hard before pulling back breathless. "I love you so much."

He tucked her hair behind her ears, looking into her eyes. "I love you too."

"You've loved me for so long and you never told me."

"I'd rather live with you as my best friend than lose you because you don't feel the same way." He said sadly.

"I'm sorry I didn't show you how I felt before. But I do love you. And I probably always will." Elena whispered softly.

"So will I."

He kissed her.

* * *

That night he lay in his bed, quietly trying to figure out who might be his father.

Giuseppe had green eyes, his mother had a dark blue. Could his father possibly have light blue eyes? His mother had dark hair so no guarantees there. He'd be taller, most likely the same jawline he had. Who could it be? Did he know him? Was he even in Mystic Falls? How could he be sure?

* * *

The next morning, Damon had a meeting with Liz and Mason in her office. He agreed to have a calm meeting with no fighting. Everything would be done Damon's way with suggestions from Liz.

"First, we set a court date, November 18th, it's a Friday. Will that do?"

Damon nodded.

"And as your friend, I suggest getting a job. Don't wait long. You'll be 18 soon and I know you won't want to live with either parent."

Once again, Damon nodded.

Liz sighed. "To make you feel better, I'll ask you most of questions. Mason has the right to jump in any time but I know you'll feel much better with someone you're close to." Damon nodded, completely agreeing. "Now I need you to think back. What has Giuseppe done to you?"

"Everything?"

"Please."

"He's always put me down. Always been strict. When Mom left he fell apart. Almost stopped talking to me all together unless he had to. I ate breakfast at 'Lena's, or I didn't eat at all. Sometimes I would spend the night there because I was feeling alone and he wouldn't even notice. Then in June, Elena and I made dinner, we made a mess..."

 _Damon and Elena were in his kitchen, Elena had insisted on making a real dinner. He didn't eat real meals very often. He'd go over to Stefan's or Elena's if he wanted a hot dinner but at home, he was stuck with sandwiches, or mac and cheese. Something he could make quick and not make a mess. Damon was an amazing chef, his mom taught him young since they were Italian, but he never had the urge to cook since she died._

 _"E, you can't cook!" Damon laughed at her._

 _"Yes I can!" She argued._

 _Damon raised his eyebrows._

 _"I can try!"_

 _Damon shook his head at her._

 _"I'm making pasta..." she trailed off, "What was it again?"_

 _"Pasta al pomodoro." He said in a beautiful Italian accent._

 _"Yes! That!"_

 _"You can't make it if you don't even know what it is!"_

 _"I don't care! We'll cook together!"_

 _"Woah! I never agreed on that!"_

 _"Would you like to me ruin your moms recipe and eat burned food, and possibly have_ both _of us starve?" She asked with a pointed look._

 _He sighed and told her that she won. She squealed happily and gave him a huge hug to thank him._

 _And so they began._

 _He gave her instructions on how to make homemade noodles with dough and flour. He started on the sauce. A while later he was mixing the noodles and sauce together when suddenly he felt something strange hit him. He turned around to see Elena's hands covered in flour and her trying to cover up her laugh._

 _"What the hell?"_

 _"You got a little something on your back..."_

 _"Oh really? How about your face?"_

 _"What about my face?" She asked confused._

 _"This." With that, he threw a handful of pasta at her, hitting her face just like he planned._

 _"Damon!" She screamed._

 _He laughed at her. "What? I thought you liked red?"_

 _"This is a new shirt!"_

 _"Maybe you need to stop shopping with Caroline so much." He shrugged._

 _"I hate you." She said as threw flour at his face._

 _"I can deal with flour, I think being covered pasta is so much worse."_

 _So she grabbed the bowl off the counter and poured it on his head._

 _"Elena!"_

 _"Yes?" She asked sweetly._

 _He grabbed a handful of four and threw it at her, it sticking to the red pasta sauce._

 _They went back and forth with that, laughing at each other for they didn't even know how long when suddenly..._

 _" **DAMON GIUSEPPE SALVATORE!** " They both heard coming from the door way. They both stopped in shear panic. "What the hell is this?!"_

 _"Dad... we-"_

 _"Stop. Elena?"_

 _"Yes, sir." She asked nervously._

 _"Go home."_

 _She looked at Damon for confirmation, he nodded. "Yes, sir." She sighed._

 _Once they were sure Elena was gone, Giuseppe started the yelling that Damon knew was coming._

 _"What the hell were you doing?!"_

 _"We were cooking and then we just-"_

 _"I can see that. You're cleaning this entire kitchen!"_

 _"I know sir."_

 _"I don't want her here."_

 _"What? Why?" Damon asked surprised. It's not like Elena bugged him. Giuseppe actually use to enjoy her a lot before he became a complete jackass._

 _"Don't you dare question me, boy! I'm your father, understand!"_

 _"Yes, but Dad-"_

 _"SHUT UP!" Giuseppe yelled as he slapped his son in the face and pushed him into the cupboards, causing him to fall down to the floor._

 _As Damon's eyes widened in surprise, so did Giuseppe's._

 _Giuseppe quickly recovered. "Clean this up." He said quietly before leaving._

Liz sat in her seat shocked, as did Mason. The first time Damon was ever abused, Giuseppe actually seemed sorry, but then why did he continue?

"Damon," Mason began, reading Liz's mind. "Why do you think he continued to abuse you if he seemed sorry?"

Damon shrugged. "He felt powerful I guess. There was no way for him to be powerful in our home and he felt power by hurting me. But I let him. I thought I deserved it."

"You don't." Liz said shocked.

"I know that now."

"I'm truly sorry, about everything."

"I know, everyone is. But it doesn't make me feel any better."

Liz nodded. "What about your childhood? Anything abusive or neglectful?"

Damon looked down.

"Damon. We need to know. This will help you and possibly others, I promise."

Damon nodded, tears in his eyes. "When I was little... maybe about 4 or 5, he would..." Damon paused.

"He would what Damon?" Liz pushed softly.

"He touched me." Damon said quietly.

Liz was hoping he meant abusively, no matter how bad that was. She didn't want to know that Damon had been touched inappropriately. "How Damon?"

"In a way no father should to their son. Are we done?" He asked harshly.

"Damon, I need a yes or no answer for this case... did your father molest you?"

"Yes."

* * *

Elena was over at Caroline's, working on homework with her in the kitchen. Elena hadn't had much time to focus on her school work, with everything going on with Damon. They were laughing about random things, something Elena felt was foreign to her now. There just never seemed like there was something worth laughing about anymore. It felt nice to just smile. Little did she know, that was about to be ruined when she heard the front door slam.

"Hey Mom." Caroline said smiling when she saw her mother. "How was work?" She asked, genuinely curious, knowing she had a meeting with Damon that day.

Liz had a strange look on her face. She didn't know what say.

"How'd it go with Damon?" Elena asked worried.

Liz sat down and sighed, looking at Elena. "What has Damon told you about the abuse?"

"Not much. Only what everybody already knows." Elena spoke honestly.

"But did he say anything about before June? Maybe when he was little?"

Elena's eyebrows furrowed. "No? Why?"

"Elena, God, I'm not supposed to tell anyone anything, you know? Confidentiality? But you're his girlfriend and his best friend and you should know."

"Know what?" Elena asked, eyes tearing up, terrified for what Liz was about to tell her.

"Damon was molested."

* * *

When there was a pounding at the front door, Zack answered it to find a very upset Elena.

"Elena? What's the matter?"

"Is Damon here?" Elena asked as best she could through her tears.

"Yeah, just a second." He left the door open as he rain to get his nephew.

Damon came to the door to find Elena crying her eyes out. "Elena? What happened? Are you okay?" He asked freaking out.

"How could you not tell me? Did you not trust me enough?" Damon didn't have to ask her what she was talking about.

He sighed. "Elena, it wasn't that. It was so long ago. Before I was friends with you!" He said softly.

"I don't care! You had to go through that all alone!"

"I wasn't going through anything! I didn't even understand it!"

"But you knew. You've known this all your life and you had to go through life knowing you're a victim and having no one! I'm your best friend and I feel like I knew nothing! How could I not see it?!"

Damon suddenly knew what was going on. He put his hands on her cheeks. "Hey, this was not your fault at all, do you understand me?"

"But I should've known. I should've seen it."

"No one could've known, baby. Not even Stefan knew. I did this to myself."

She looked into his eyes and flung herself at him, crying into the junction between his neck and his shoulder.

"Did your mom know?" She whispered.

She could feel him nod slightly. "Yeah, she knew."

That just made her cry harder.

* * *

Elena went home that night very late, but when her father saw the tear stains on her cheeks and her red rimmed eyes he decided tonight wasn't the night to scold her for missing curfew.

"Sorry." She apologized weakly to her father. "I was with Damon."

"Don't worry about it." Her father said.

"You aren't going to yell at me?"

He shook his head. "You had a rough night, I'll just give you a warning."

She smiled. "Thanks Dad."

"No problem." As she started heading upstairs he stopped her. "Wait, I was wondering if you wanted to go to the lake house with me this weekend?"

Elena shrugged. "I guess. What for?"

"There's a lot of junk piled up over the years in the attack. I was planning on cleaning it out, since half of it isn't even ours."

"Not ours?"

"Well, when the Salvatore's sold us the house they asked to keep some of in there for safe keeping, or because they didn't need it, and I'd prefer not to keep any of their crap anymore."

Elena stopped him. "Wait! The Salvatore's sold us the lake house?"

Grayson nodded. "It used to be Lily's and Giuseppe's until you were about four. They always let us borrow it more than they used it so they offered to sell it to us if we had the money."

"What kind of stuff is there?"

He shrugged. "Baby clothes, files, documents, and other little things they didn't really need, like antiques. So what do you say?"

"Can Damon and Stefan come?"

"Yeah, why not. Invite Caroline too! Double date." Gray teased. "So it's a yes?"

"It's a yes."

* * *

He sat in his room quietly. He stared at the pills in front of him contemplating his next move. All he could think about was his mother and how he felt so abandoned and unloved.

"You told me you'd love me forever" He cried as he looked up to the ceiling, recalling a memory back when he was just a little boy.

 _A nine year old boy lay in his bed with his mother by his side. It was late and he couldn't sleep. Now that he was nine, he didn't want his mother to read to him at night anymore, he thought it was too babyish. Unfortunately for him, his mother caught him awake and insisted a bedtime story. She picked out her favorite and he told her that it was a baby book, but it was her favorite so he'd allow it._

 _"But at night time," she read, "When he was asleep, the mother quietly opened the door to his room, crawled across the floor and looked up over the side of his bed. If he was really asleep, she picked up that nine-year-old boy and rocked him back and forth, back and forth, back and forth, and while she rocked him she sang..." His mother began to sing to him in her quiet sweet voice that he pretended not to love so much. "I'll love you forever, I'll like you for always, as long as I'm living, my baby you'll be."_

 _She looked down to find him asleep, and kissed his forehead sweetly before taking herself to bed. She_ _wasn't reading the book... she was singing to him._

Damon looked at his bottle of pills and unscrewed the cap and poured a few in his hand.

"I thought I was your baby." He whispered before closing his eyes and swallowing the pills.

* * *

 **I was inspired by two things for this chapter. One was a story in a book call "Pillow Thoughts" by Courtney Peppernell, I used the story in the book that was called "Looking for Ice Cream." I reworded it a little bit as to not steal it completely but I find the story beautiful and wanted to use the idea, since I never said the moment Damon knew he was in love with Elena. Hope you like the nice Damon/Elena moment in there.**

 **My second inspiration was the children's book, "Love You Forever" by Robert Munsch, which is also the title of the chapter.**

 **I apologize to the people that find rape and molestation a sore topic or offensive. I do not mean to offend anybody, I'm simply telling a story. I'm** **sorry** **again.**

 **PLEASE READ! I have been considering changing the rating of this story to M simply because of the _mentions_ of rape and _possible_ future sexual _encounters_. The encounters will in _no way_ be smut and _will not_ be graphic. I want to know what you all think and if I would be losing any of my current readers because I don't want to risk that.**

 **I hope you enjoyed and would you like more flashbacks? Let me know and REVIEW!**


	13. Wanted

**Reviewers!**

 **Livetoreadlovetoread: Oh don't worry! They will not forgive her TOO easily, but at the same time, you don't know why she left yet ;)**

 **Maayan21051: I'm glad you're liking it and I'm glad it was your favorite halter, it was one of mine too!**

 **Caitielynn05: I'm sorry you think that and I'm assuming you didn't read this far but if you did, this is fanfiction. It's my story and what I want to write. I was in the beginning of my story and wasn't going to kill him off. It's not unusual for someone to survive falling down the stairs or an old face to come back into your life when something tragic happens. I wouldn't call it "fake" but even if it was, most fanfiction stories aren't intended to be real. It came off of a tv show about vampires! If you did continue reading this far, I'm hoping you're liking this story a little better now and I'm sorry I didn't entertain you enough in the beginning.**

 **sorry about that rant my wonderful readers, but now back to the story!**

* * *

 **Chapter 13**

 _Damon looked at his bottle of pills and unscrewed the cap and poured a few in his hand._

 _"I thought I was your baby." He whispered before closing his eyes and swallowing the pills._

* * *

 _You know I'd fall apart without you  
I don't know how you do what you do  
'Cause everything that don't make sense about me  
Makes sense when I'm with you  
Like everything that's green, girl I need you  
But it's more than one and one makes two  
Put aside the math and the logic of it  
You gotta know you want it too_

"Damon!" Elena called as she ran into the Salvatore household across from the _other_ Salvatore household. It was Thursday morning and she knew it wouldn't hurt to be a few minutes late to school if it meant that she got to see her boyfriend. "Damon!" She called again. He was usually a pretty light sleeper.

Stefan came out of his room, all dressed for the day. "He was pretty exhausted last night. Slept like a rock."

Elena turned around surprised by the voice. "I just wanted to tell him good morning. I brought him breakfast. I know how much he loves Mom's homemade chocolate chip muffins."

Stefan laughed, agreeing. "Well, surely he won't have room for them all." He said as he quickly stole one from the cute little basket her mom had made up.

Elena giggled, "I was going to give you one anyway."

"Good." Stefan smiled. "Hey, mind giving me a ride in? My car's at the shop for repair."

"No problem. Where are Zach and Sarah?"

"Left early. Take your time with him. No rush." Stefan said as he nodded toward his cousin's bedroom door.

Elena slowly opened the door and found him sleeping soundly on his bed, his half bottle of painkillers right next to him. She noticed how empty it looked and started to get concerned about how much pain he was really in. How often had he been using it?

She shrugged off the worry, knowing that he'd probably just tell her that it was no big deal.

She sat down on the bed and shook him lightly.

"Baby? Wake up." She said to him softly.

He started to stir a bit.

"Hi. I brought Mom's muffins over if you're hungry."

He smiled slightly. "Thanks." He mumbled.

"You need to wake up or I can't leave..."

"Then don't." He said as he wrapped his arm around her.

She laughed. "Sorry, but I need to graduate, unlike you." He had always talked about how he didn't care if he graduated or not, because he wouldn't be going to college anyway.

He shrugged.

"I do need to talk to you though... so my dad and I are cleaning out your families stuff from the lake house this weekend. Do you want to come? Maybe Stefan and Care too?"

He was suddenly wide awake. "Do you think maybe..."

"I don't know. But we can find out."

Damon nodded, agreeing.

"What are your plans today?"

"I'm getting this bad boy off," he said, pointing to his cast. "And your dad is going to try to clear me for school on Monday, but Zach said he wants me to have a quick evaluation with a psychologist first to make sure I'm actually 'fine'." He said, rolling his eyes.

Elena's eyes widened. "That's great though, right?!"

"I guess." He shrugged, not too keen on seeing a therapist. He had gone through so many of life's toughest obstacles without a therapist, he was pretty sure he was fine.

"Hey," she said softly, using her pointer finger to lift his chin up to look at her. "Baby steps, right?"

He smiled and nodded.

"How about a date later?"

"We've never had a first date." He said surprised.

"So we'll do it tonight. Fancy."

"It's a date." He smiled at her.

"I'm sorry but I really have to go, I'm late enough."

"I think I'm far more fascinating than school."

She laughed. "Trust me, you are, but once again... I need to graduate!"

"Yeah yeah yeah... abandon me."

"See you later." She started heading out.

"Leave me here to rot."

"Bye!" She yelled from outside the room.

"I'm rotting!"

All he heard was her laugh, and he knew he couldn't make it the whole day without her.

* * *

Elena arrived at school in the middle of first period.

"I'm so sorry I'm late! It was a long night and I-" She rushed out her explanation.

"Save it Miss Gilbert." Mr. Palmer held up his hand. "I don't want to hear about your nightly festivities."

Elena breathed out a little laugh. "No, you're misunderstandi-"

"Enough! Take your seat Gilbert."

Elena's face dropped. "Yes, sir."

Elena sat down in her seat and took out her textbook and turned to page 145, which was written on the board.

She heard whispers behind her. "I bet she was with Damon all night."

"Are they finally sleeping together?"

"I think they're friends with benefits."

Elena smiled to herself a little bit at the gossip that was the complete opposite of being true.

"He's such a man whore. He's never going to give her what she wants. We all know that he doesn't do relationships, no matter how in love with her he is."

Elena's face dropped. Then she heard the other voice.

"I think it'll be different with her. He doesn't look at anyone like that."

Elena knew she was right. She looked over at the empty seat next to her. _Damon's_ empty seat. She missed him at school. She could already tell that this was going to be a crappy day.

* * *

Damon was sitting in the doctor's office waiting for Gray to come in to tell him if he could go back to school. He had gotten his cast off moments ago. He answered some of Gray's questions, showed him that he could move perfectly fine, and then Gray said that he would be right back.

Grayson Gilbert was a surgeon. Perhaps the best in the county. He didn't typically have patients that came back for checkups like the one Damon had. That was typically Dr. Fell's area. Fortunately for Damon, Grayson looked at him as a son and wanted to be the one to make sure Damon was actually ready to do normal everyday things, such as school.

Zach had brought him to the appointment and was in the waiting room.

Grayson entered the room again with a clipboard in hand.

"Alright, Damon, now in going to tell you some rules and you are not to argue with me, understand?"

Damon nodded, suddenly worried.

"No strenuous activity, _especially_ with my daughter. You'll have a note to get out of physical education until your physical therapist clears you, yes, you heard me. I'll give you a list of numbers to choose your own." Damon rolled his eyes. "Also... I know this isn't my call but I think you should see a therapist."

"Gray..." Damon sighed but Gray interrupted.

"I'm saying this as family _and_ as your doctor. I don't even know if you should be at school without a therapist clearing you but my job is to clear you physically, I have no control over clearing you mentally. I hear Lily's friend is a psychiatrist. That might actually be good for you. He can help you understand her better."

"I really don't-"

"Damon! You need this. We all need this _for_ you." Gray begged.

Damon sighed. "Fine. But I think I'm going to regret this... a lot."

"I'll tell you something that'll make you happy then... you're cleared!"

* * *

Elena was walking with Caroline and Bonnie to lunch. She had never been so afraid to go to lunch before. She didn't want to listen to all those people gossiping about her love life. She didn't want to see the stares. She didn't want to hear all the rumors spreading about Damon that she knew wasn't true. Damon was molested, yes, but that doesn't mean other people get to talk about it, especially when Damon hasn't told anyone save for a few people.

"I heard he admitted that his father raped him." She heard the whispers behind her, and she winced. Caroline and Bonnie, on either side of her put their arms around hers in comfort.

"He finally admitted he liked Elena, who knows what else will come out."

"Everyone thinks that he's always liked Elena, but I don't think he does. She's just there for comfort."

Both girls beside Elena tightened their hold of the girl. "Just keep walking, Elena." Caroline whispered in her ear.

"Ignore them, they're wrong." Bonnie told her.

"I bet he's using Elena so that he actually has someone since no one wants him."

Elena had had enough. She whipped around to see the girls behind her, Claire and Jessica.

"You know nothing about him! Nothing about his life! Giuseppe didn't like Damon like he deserved but that's his loss! Anyone is lucky to have him and so many people want him! I remember you sluts whoring yourselves off to him at the summer party in June, and now you're being bitches because he didn't want you. He's too good for you. Now about you start gossiping about the fact that Jessica slept with your boyfriend after the back-to-school bonfire Claire, and that, according to Claire, Jessica's bulimic."

The girls stared wide eyed at her as she ran into the girl's bathroom, crying.

Bonnie and Caroline watch as all of this happened. They went into the bathroom to hear Elena crying in a stall, she was calling someone.

 _"Hey, this is Damon, I either can't get to the phone or I don't care. Leave a message but I probably won't call you back."_

Beep.

"Hi, I'm sorry, I know you're busy today but I needed to hear your voice. I miss you."

* * *

When Damon and Zach arrived back at their home, Damon sat down and Zach started making some macaroni and cheese for them for lunch, since it was nearly one.

"Zach... can I ask you a question?"

Zach turned around. "Sure thing, kid. What's up?"

"Did you know Giuseppe isn't my father?"

Zach took a deep breath. "Yeah, I did."

"Who's my dad?"

Zach put his hand on Damon's shoulder to make sure the boy stayed calm. "I can't tell you that yet. But I can tell you that he wanted to be there, but everyone had to believe it was Giuseppe."

Damon nodded. "I just wished I could've known so that I wouldn't have to live life alone with that monster."

"I know, but you had so many other people around too. You were never alone."

* * *

Elena was said sitting at the lunch table staring at the clock waiting for the bell to ring.

 _Five more minutes._

She had only sat down five minutes ago after spending lunch crying in the bathroom.

Her phone suddenly rang, causing her to jump.

"Hello." She answered not looking at the ID.

 _"Hey, babe. Sorry, I just got out of the appointment. Are you okay?"_ She visibly relaxed as she heard Damon's voice.

"Yeah, how'd it go?" She asked changing the topic.

 _"Well I'm cleared for school."_

She smiled a real smile. "Thank god. Everyone misses you at school."

 _"Now, tell me what's really going on."_

Elena sighed. "People keep talking about you and it's none of their business and I just... miss you. A lot."

 _"Babe, you'll see me tonight."_

"I know. I don't know what's wrong with me."

 _"You're lovesick."_ Damon joked.

Elena laughed. "I actually think I am."

 _"Well, relax because tonight we will go out, have fun, and then you can take advantage of me."_

"How'd you guess my plan?"

 _"I guess I just know you really well."_

Elena had a small smile. "Yeah, you do."

* * *

Damon had called Lily and asked her if he could meet her and Julian at his house. He hadn't been inside since he fell down the stairs. It was weird, but he felt like he was finally fighting whatever fear he had inside of him.

He sat on the couch as she and Julian let themselves in.

"Damon!" She yelled.

"In here." He said back, not quite as loud.

He saw them enter the living room, Lily was looking everywhere, admiring the home she hadn't lived in in six years.

"Everything's the same." She said quietly.

"Dad didn't like change, especially with you gone."

Lily nodded, understanding but still feeling horrible about everything. "Why did you want to meet us?"

"Everyone thinks I need a therapist. I'm going to have one meeting with Julian and then he's going to tell everyone they're wrong."

Lily's eyes widened. "Wow, Da-"

"But you're going to leave. We're going to talk about you and I don't want you here to hear it."

Lily nodded, a little disappointed.

When she left, both of the blue-eyed men sat down on the couch.

"Where do you want to start?" Damon asked.

"When did your father start abusing you?"

"You mean when did he molest his wife's son?" Damon asked bitterly. "I think I was 4."

"How did you feel? What were your thoughts."

"I was scared but I didn't know what was happening. I didn't know what he was doing was wrong but it was weird."

"What about Lily?"

"She caught him. She started yelling at him and he yelled back. I could tell that she was scared. She apologized to me and told me she'd protect me. That no matter what he did, I'd be safe in the end. But she didn't stop him."

"I think she knew that if she tried then that would've been worse for you." Julian suggested.

Damon shrugged.

"What changed when Lily left?"

"Everything. Dad stopped talking to me unless he needed to, we barely ate, but physically, he never hurt me, not till this year."

"How'd you feel?"

"Abandoned. I felt like the only person who ever cared about me had left."

"But you had a lot of people who cared about you, didn't you."

"I guess." Damon shrugged. "But I feel more abandoned now that I know she chose to leave."

"I think she left for a reason. I think her leaving made your life the way it is."

"Horrible?"

"No, it made you compassionate. It made you understanding. It made it so that you would love powerfully since you felt like you never experienced it."

"Wouldn't that do the opposite effect?"

Julian shook his head. "Not always. Haven't we established that you're special?"

Damon scoffed. "Save it. It's your job to tell patients that they're special and important."

Julian sighed. Though he meant what he said, he knew it wouldn't help. "I'm not defending Lily. But she knew what she was doing. She knew you were strong enough to be okay."

Damon shook his head and looked down at his hands. "But I'm not okay, am I?" He asked rhetorically.

"Damon, in every story, the protagonist hits a point where they feel unloved, or they feel guilty of their mistakes, or they just aren't happy. But if you keep on watching, they get all they ever wanted. This is _your_ bump in the road."

"Did she tell you who my dad is?"

Julian sighed. "Yes. But I'm not saying a word."

Damon knew. "Of course not, but would I like him?"

"I really hope so."

"I think I'm done for the day."

Julian nodded, understanding that Damon said more about his life than he ever has before and he needed time. "Call me if you decide you want to talk again. I'm only a call away. I don't deny anyone a session."

"Thank you, Julian."

He said goodbye to the dark haired man.

* * *

Elena came bounding into the Salvatore house for the second time that day. She didn't bother knocking since she was dropping Stefan off anyway.

She ran into Damon's room and pounced on his bed next him. He had a look of surprise on his face.

"What are-" she pressed her lips to his hard. "Mm, well, hello to you too."

She looked at her hands apologetically. "Sorry, it's just been a really long day."

"Don't apologize," he told her, "But tell me what happened."

She nodded, not really wanting to but know she had to. "Everybody was talking about you today. About us."

"What about us?"

"Everything. Why you're with me. That you're going to leave me or I'm just a distraction." She said, sounding vulnerable.

"Hey," he put his finger under her chin to get her to look at him. "First of all, I got lucky enough to have you, I will never leave you, not without putting up one hell of a fight. Second, you are a distraction. But in a good way. You distract me from all of my problems and make me feel good. Since when does what other people say matter to you?"

"Since everything happened to you! Since people started making assumptions about our lives and predicting our future!"

"Fuck them Elena! They don't really give a shit about us if they want us to be doomed, why should we give a shit about them!"

"THEY SAID NO ONE LOVED YOU!" She cried out.

Immediately Damon shut his mouth. He didn't know what to say. He knew not many people did, and especially the few people who were supposed to matter the most didn't, but he didn't think that other people actually thought that to be true. What do you say to that?

"It's not true Damon. So many people love you, I just wish that you could see it. That _everyone_ could see it."

Damon nodded. "I know," before Elena could say anything he was out of the bed. "C'mon."

"What?"

"I want to show you something."

* * *

After ten minutes of driving and nagging from Elena as Damon gave her driving instructions, they arrived at a wooded area. Elena parked the car on the side of the road. They walked the trail away, while Elena had no idea where to go. Finally, they got to an open field with a little waterfall and one tree in the middle containing a tree house. Damon turned Elena around and put his hands on her.

"Is this-" Elena was in shock.

"Yep."

"This is where my parents fell in love... why-"

"Because its more than that. Two pairs of married couples sent the teenage years here; all their special moments. My parents met here at a party. They didn't fall in love. Your parents met here and fell in love here. They both admitted everything here.

"You see? A place like this is magical but it can't force things. I've watched two different couples who had the same experiences. In one of them, one person helps the other, while the other couple doesn't. If we want to be okay, we need to work on ourselves."

Elena had a tear in her eye hearing his speech.

"I love you, and I don't want to lose this."

Elena smiled at him. "I love you too." She said as she kissed him.

"Do you want to go in the treehouse?"

Elena laughed and immediately said yes.

They ran up to the treehouse and Elena saw the floor covered in warm blankets, candles lit and a picnic basket.

"What...?" She trailed off.

"I set everything up right before my appointment, Ric came and lit the candles for me when he got out of work. I know it's not fancy but I don't really have much money right now."

"This is perfect." She said tears running down her face. "I don't need an expensive dinner. I'd honestly rather just lay with you and eat some sandwiches." She laughed.

"I had a feeling you'd say that." He sat down to open the picnic basket. He pulled out peanut butter and jelly sandwiches along with macaroni salad, potato salad and coleslaw.

"Oh my god." She laughed, covering her mouth and sitting beside him.

"I know how much you love your picnic food and how summer is pretty far away so I thought we could have our last picnic of the year here, together."

"Thank you so much, I love you."

"I love you."

Once they had finished, she was leaning against him playing with his fingers. "You know, for a pretty sucky day, it ended pretty amazing."

"I just wanted you to feel special." He kissed her forehead.

"You succeeded. I've never felt more wanted."

"I never want this to end." He whispered.

She turned around in his arms. "It won't." She promised before kissing him. "Just promise me this is forever."

He smiled against her lips. "I promise." He continued kissing her.

She felt his tongue against her lip, asking for entrance. She complied, opening her mouth for him.

"I'm ready." She told him softly as she pulled away.

He looked at her. "Are you sure?"

"Only if you're well enough. I want this Damon."

"Okay, if you're sure."

They spent the rest of that night roaming each other's bodies, discovering the parts of each other they'd never seen. They came together for the first time. They made love until the sun came up, something neither of them had really experienced.

 _Anyone can tell you you're pretty  
(Yeah)  
You get that all the time, I know you do  
But your beauty's deeper than the makeup  
And I wanna show you what I see tonight  
As good as you make me feel __I wanna make you feel better_ _Better than your fairy tales_ _Better than your best dreams_ _You're more than everything I need._ _You're all I ever wanted_ _All I ever wanted_

 _And I just wanna wrap you up  
Wanna kiss your lips  
I wanna make you feel wanted  
And I wanna call you mine  
Wanna hold you hand forever  
Never let you forget it  
Yeah, I wanna make you feel wanted  
Yeah, baby I wanna make you feel -  
Wanted  
'Cause you'll always be wanted _

* * *

**Yes! They finally did it! And yes, Gray did tell him no strenuous activity, but does Damon _ever_ listen?**

 **I hope you enjoyed this chapter and if you keep reading, in about 2 chapters you will find out about Damon's biological father! Any guess? Do you think it's a character you already know?**

 **This story's one year birthday is about a week away! I'm going to try to update on the anniversary but I'm very busy this next week so I thought I'd give you this chapter right now just in case!**

 **SONG: Wanted by Hunter Hayes. This song works in both the POVs of Damon and Elena. They both want the other to feel wanted and they want to be together forever**


	14. I Need to Know

**A/N So life happened again guys, sorry for the wait. A lot has been going on with me the past few months that were very life changing and I lost yet another person in my life and I almost lost my grandpa to a bad accident that is going to be a long road to recovery, then classes started up so I've been very busy, but I'm back and hopefully won't keep you waiting too long for the next update, because I do have a lot of plans for this story and I already have a sequel in the works if I continue the route I'm headed. Thank you for your patience and all of your kind words.**

 **I've decided to speed things up a bit and I'm hoping you read till the end because this is the moment of truth... time to make your final predictions, WHO'S DAMON'S FATHER?**

* * *

 **Chapter 14**

Elena woke up that next morning in Damon's arms, head against his chest. She looked up at him to see his sleeping face. He looked in pain this morning, more so than usual, yet he stayed sleeping. She wanted to wake him, to see if he could get more comfortable, but she thought that she'd just make it worse.

It killed her to see this strong man in such a vulnerable state. She had known him for several years and he always made sure that his problems were always the last priority. As much as he tried to shrug off everything in his brain, it's all suddenly overpowered him and taken control. Elena was now left to pick up the pieces and take care of the man who always took care of her and never asked for anything in return.

She felt him start to move under her and she sat up so he could be free to move and get comfortable.

His eyes slowly opened to reveal his beautiful blues. He looked around, searching for his phone. Once he grabbed it he checked the time and groaned, putting his phone back down.

"What?" Elena laughed slightly at him.

"Ten thirty. We're supposed to leave your house for the lake house around noon."

"Shit, I forgot about the real world for a minute." Elena sighed at herself.

"So did I." He smiled at her and she smiled back.

He started to sit up before yelping in pain.

"Are you okay? What is it?"

"I just wasn't expecting the pain. I'm fine." He shrugged it off, once again.

"Are you sure? Do you need anything?"

Damon laughed at her mom-likeness. "Yes, I'm sure. It's because I fell asleep on this floor, and doctor said no strenuous activity so I should be a little sore anyway."

Elena's eyes widened. "What?! He said no strenuous activity and you had sex with me anyway?"

"Relax. It was your dad! He only said it so I wouldn't have sex with you."

"Damon, they say it for a reason! What if you pulled something?"

"I didn't."

"What if you did? Where are your pain pills."

Damon closed his eyes in frustration. "I forgot them at my house. You take me home and I'll meet you at your house at noon?"

Elena agreed and they packed up their stuff and got going.

* * *

After Elena dropped Damon off at his uncles house he watched as she left. When she was no longer in view, he ran over to the local CVS to refill his pain medication. He quickly got that and went back home. He combined the two medicine bottles, hoping that Elena wouldn't notice that he had taken far too many the other night.

He met up with Caroline and Stefan at Elena's, as they were all waiting for him. They were unsure of how long the stay would be at the lake house so they all packed a bag for a night.

As they were throwing their stuff in the trunk of the Gilbert's van, Stefan came up to Damon.

"You brought your medications and everything right?"

"Yes Stefan," Damon responded, annoyed. "I'm being responsible and I'm prepared."

"I'm just making sure. I know you've never stayed on top of your medication and this is serious."

"I have it."

"It was pretty empty last I saw it. I'm just trying to help!"

"I don't need your help! I need you to trust me!"

Damon pulled the full bottle out of his bag. "Here. This the proof you need?"

Elena came over to the boys and saw that Damon's bottle was in his hand.

"What's going on? Everything okay?" She asked, noting the hostility.

"Yeah, everything's fine 'Lena." He said while glaring at his cousin and then walking away.

Elena turned to Damon. "What just happened?"

Damon shrugged. "Stefan's just a little moody today. Barbie's rubbing off on him I guess."

Elena didn't find him funny. She took one of his hands in hers and looked into his eyes to search him for the truth. "You'd tell me if something was wrong, right? Nothing has changed, we can still talk to each other about everything."

He hated that she was looking at him like that and he was lying to her. Even if there was really nothing to tell about Stefan, he was lying to her about the pills and he felt like a horrible boyfriend.

He put his head against hers to break the eye contact. "Of course. You'd be the first one I'd go to if something was wrong. I promise."

She smiled slightly with her eyes closed and Damon thought it was one of her cutest looks.

She pulled away and coughed slightly as she realized that Stefan and Caroline were a mere 20 feet away and she didn't want to start anything that she couldn't finish.

"I'm going to go get Dad and tell him that we're ready."

"Okay, I'll be here."

As she walked away, Damon looked around to make sure that no one was looking. He hadn't had any pills since yesterday and he was very sore. Stefan and Caroline were facing away from him, so he poured almost half of the bottle in his mouth and chugged from his water bottle, feeling it go down his throat. He quickly closed up the bottle and put it away, before anyone could see it.

He was just praying that he'd sleep through this car ride.

* * *

"Mmm, no. Don't! Please!" Damon screamed.

"Damon? D?" Elena spoke quietly, shaking him a little bit.

Damon tensed a little bit and opened his eyes and looked around. Everyone in the car was staring at him, the car had been pulled over.

"Wh-What?" Damon stuttered, not understanding why everyone was staring at him, and Elena looked terrified.

"You were screaming. We couldn't wake you up." Stefan's voice came from in front of him.

"What happened?" Elena asked him, sounding scared.

"Just a bad dream. It's fine. Keep driving."

"Not until I know you're okay." Grayson said sternly.

"I'm fine."

"Fine isn't good enough. Have you been taking your pills."

"Yes." _Too many of them_ , he thought.

"Are you in pain?" The doctor was coming out of him.

"Just a headache." Damon closed his eyes again.

"Could be the pills. Drink as much water as possible. You might be dehydrated."

Damon nodded, agreeing, even though he knew it was probably because he took too many pills.

"We're almost there. Then you can get out of the car and relax." Grayson told him and turned around to continue driving.

Elena leaned against him and he kissed her forehead. "You sure you're okay?" She whispered.

Damon nodded against her head. "I'm perfect."

* * *

Later that day, Damon still seemed to be out of it. To Elena's surprise, Grayson allowed her and Damon to share a room, as well as Caroline and Stefan. Damon was in his and Elena's room just sitting on the bed when she walked in. He was staring off into space and jumped a little when she sat on the bed.

"Penny for your thoughts?" She asked.

Damon shrugged. "Nothing important."

Elena scoffed. "Of course it's important if it's putting that look on your face. Talk to me. You used to be able to tell me everything."

"I guess I'm afraid of what we'll find. What if I don't like who my father is?"

"Anything is better than Giuseppe."

"True, but my father abandoned me. Or my mother preferred Giuseppe to my dad because the sperm donor was that horrible of a person."

"Hey, this is supposed to be an optimistic trip. Don't think of the bad. Only the good."

He looked into her eyes and smiled. "You don't make it hard."

She looked puzzled. "What do you mean?"

Damon shrugged as he looked at her. "I don't know. You've kind of been my rock through this whole thing. You're able to make me feel better about all of the sucky things going on in my life right now and I guess I'm just really thankful towards you for it."

"Well, at a time like this you need a rock."

"No, Elena, you've _always_ been my rock. You're the sun to my moon I guess you could say."

She giggled that sound he loved so much. "I think that that's the cheesiest thing you've ever said."

"What can I say? You make me a giant cheeseball."

She laughed again, and this time kissed him.

* * *

Later that evening, all four teenagers were in the attic going through all of the storage.

"This is hopeless," Damon started, "What are we doing? We're never going to find anything in these boxes to help us."

"Optimism, remember Damon?" Elena mumbled, reminding him.

"Exactly! I mean, we aren't finding anything bad right? Maybe Giuseppe actually is your father." Caroline suggested.

Damon stopped shuffling through a box and glared at her. "That's supposed to make me happy?"

"Note to self, don't joke around Damon when he's moody." Caroline said softly from across the attic, but Damon still heard it and rolled his eyes.

"I don't need sass from you Barbie."

"Excuse me? We're all just trying to help you. You don't have to be such a jerk all the time!"

"And you don't have to be such a peppy bitch!"

Caroline's eyes started to water and Stefan yelled a "HEY!"

"Damon, she's right, we're all trying to help with this whole thing and we understand that you're upset, but don't take it out on her." Stefan scolded him.

Elena couldn't believe that Damon had just yelled at Caroline like that. Sure, they clashed a lot and got into little arguments but never like that.

As Damon went and sat in the corner of the attic, Elena followed him.

"Damon..."

"Not now Elena. I can do without the pep talk."

She sighed and sat next to him. "I know that you're upset about all of this, but you know Caroline is trying to help you right?"

"I know."

"Maybe you should apologize to her?"

Damon looked at her and smirked. "You are going to be such a good mom."

"I like to think so." She shrugged and laughed.

Damon got up and walked over to Caroline, with the intent to make this right.

Caroline saw him and froze. "If you are going to say anything else to me you can leave."

He sighed. "I just wanted to apologize. I'm freaking out and you didn't deserve it. Im sorry."

"Does this mean you don't think I'm a bitch?"

He smirked. "Well, that can be debated." He laughed as she hit his shoulder. "Ow, hey I'm just kidding!"

"In that case, I'm sorry too." She hugged him so that he knew they were okay.

"Hey guys!" Stefan yelled.

Everyone looked over at him.

"This box is labeled Damon."

Damon walked over to Stefan and opened the box. "It's a bunch of toys and papers."

"What are the papers?" Elena asked.

"They're letters from my father."

"Is there anything else?" Caroline asked anxiously.

"My birth certificate..." He said slowly, eyes wide as he took it out of the box.

"Damon? What's wrong?"

The certificate read:

 _Father: Zachary Salvatore_

* * *

 **Well, there you have it! I had a few hints indicating several different people to be the father. There was Zach, Julian, and Mason Lockwood. I tried to trick you but did I succeed?**

 **How do you think Damon will react with this news?**

 **Ari909: Were you right? I'd love to know who you thought was his father!**

 **Tell me, did anyone guess correctly? Who did you think it was? Please let me know!**

 **Next Time: Damon confronts Zach**


End file.
